Love the idea, good luck and happy flying to Mr Roswell!
But! 5 tons of plastic yielding 106 gallons of fuel (about, I'm sure) and an estimated 26 million tons of plastic available, that works out to a bit over 500 million gallons of potential fuel (if *all* of the plastic is used) or about 2 days worth of fuel for the entire US.
Yes, every little bit counts and all the options should be considered. Just keep in mind this idea is one of the little bits that on its own isn't going to make much difference. This *plus* any number of other ideas will change the world.
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Nothing, if it wasn't so expensive
Edited by zackers
Updated - 28th Aug
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Interesting, but to what end?
Posted by Chip and Andy
27th Aug
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Different 182?
I was not aware that a 182 was made that burned anything but aviation 100 octane LL! Are you sure the fuel will be diesel???
Posted by GregGold
27th Aug
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Actually, Cessna just announced a Jet-A burning 182...
...a few weeks ago at Oshkosh. But you better start saving now. Price starts a bit over a half-million.
Posted by JohnMcGrew@...
27th Aug
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Better to light a single candle than curse the darkness
So turning plastic into fuel "isn't going to make much difference." How much difference would it make if it wasn't done at all? Right. None. As to that figure of 26 million tons of plastic available, does that take into consideration all the plastic that is currently in landfills all around the country or the plastic floating in that Texas-size island in the Pacific? There is one in the Atlantic and who knows where else. (Weight estimate of ocean plastic is at 315 billion pounds or roughly 155 million tons http://news.discovery.com/earth/how-much-plastics-is-in-the-ocean.html.) If it's OK to trek to the far reaches of the earth, to the poles and into the depths of the oceans for oil, why is it not OK to mine the waste plastic that is also in those places? No one has said it's not, but looking at the potential sees things in a new light.
Posted by justajo
Updated - 27th Aug
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Nothing, if it wasn't so expensive
Converting plastics and other trash to fuel would be great -- if it wasn't so expensive. Many other businesses have tried versions of this process, but so far nobody has been able to make it competitive with fuels refined from oil. It turns out it actually *is* cheaper to go to the ends of the earth to get our fuel.
Of course, the nice thing about all that plastic is that it will still be around decades from now if the process to convert it to fuel does become economical. Plastic is a very good way to sequester carbon...
As for all that plastic in the ocean, most of it has been broken down into tiny bits that would be impossible to collect. Scientists have to use fine cloth sieves to even collect it. While there are whole plastic jugs and other items floating in the ocean (especially since the Japanese tsunami), the idea that there is a Texas-sized island of these big chunks of plastics floating out there is just a scare tactic that the media does everything it can to promote.
Of course, the nice thing about all that plastic is that it will still be around decades from now if the process to convert it to fuel does become economical. Plastic is a very good way to sequester carbon...
As for all that plastic in the ocean, most of it has been broken down into tiny bits that would be impossible to collect. Scientists have to use fine cloth sieves to even collect it. While there are whole plastic jugs and other items floating in the ocean (especially since the Japanese tsunami), the idea that there is a Texas-sized island of these big chunks of plastics floating out there is just a scare tactic that the media does everything it can to promote.
Posted by zackers
Updated - 28th Aug