Founded in 2018, Plastic Back is an Israeli startup that addresses the problem of plastic waste. Today, it is estimated that of the 400 million tons of plastic produced annually, less than 10% is recycled.
An innovative system developed by the Israeli startup allows the use of plastic from landfills and the natural environment and converting them back into their original form, crude oil.
How? The low-temperature chemical process enables the treatment of difficult waste streams, breaking down the plastic polymer into short liquid fractions, which can be recycled to produce new plastics.
This innovation could revolutionise the recycling industry and significantly reduce the environmental impact of PVC, which is used in activities as varied as construction and medicine.
Tal Cohen, co-founder and CEO of Plastic Back, explained that “plastic is made from petroleum, so we are converting it back into what it was originally made from,” adding that “once we can do that, we can use that petroleum in the production of new plastics or other petrochemical applications.”