2023 Volume 34 Issue 2 Pages 107-115
Thirty years have passed since the development of Refuse derived Paper and Plastics Densified Fuel (RPF), also known as Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF), which first emerged in 1991. Since the early days of its development, waste disposal issues and global warming have been critical social issues standing at the forefront of environmental consciousness. Intensification of natural disasters, the realization that plastics are negatively affecting the planet, and geopolitical risks have accelerated the transformation towards a circular economy and toward enactment of countermeasures to combat climate change. The current environment surrounding the RPF concept has also changed the way it is now valued and treated in light of such complex changes.
This paper highlights the value of RPF as it stands today, while also presenting the actual value behind energy recovery and the amounts of greenhouse gas being emitted in order to explain the properties, quality, and characteristics of the fuel from the different perspectives of manufacturers. Furthermore, this paper discusses the future expectations that were collected with regard to RPF as a raw material for plastic chemical recycling.
