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Britain's First Plastic To Fuel Conversion Plants Planned

8 November 2010

SITA UK has signed an "exclusive agreement" with Cynar Plc to build "Britain's first fully operational plants to convert end of life plastic into diesel fuel". The objective is to build 10 UK plants, at the rate of two to three per year, depending on planning. The 10 plants will deal with 60,000 tonnes of mixed plastic waste per year and the first is to be commissioned in London by end 2011.

SITA UK's says its agreement with Cynar will take Britain forward as it attempts to deal with mixed waste plastic with a solution that is both environmentally efficient and energy productive. The waste plastic recovery process is expected to be produced at below the cost of normal diesel and the fuel itself is expected to have a lower carbon footprint than conventional diesel. The fuel qualities of the recycled diesel will be on a par with conventional diesel, without the need for any further refining and therefore suitable for commercial use.

David Palmer-Jones, Chief Executive of SITA UK, said: "We are delighted to announce this landmark agreement with Cynar which will see us provide a commercial solution to the environmental challenge of treating waste plastic that can not be recycled. We aim to build around ten facilities in the first tranche of development that will convert waste plastic into diesel fuel known as End of Life Plastic Diesel.

"Traditionally, mixed waste plastic has been sent to landfill as no economically viable alternative way of treating it has been developed. Today's announcement means that this can now be given a second life as a sustainable alternative to diesel."

Michael Murray, CEO Cynar Plc, said: "We are excited by the prospect of seeing our technology becoming both a manufacturing and mainstream reality and a market first thanks to today's transformative agreement with SITA UK. We believe Cynar has found an entrepreneurial partner in SITA UK who can help us ensure that the years of our research will be realised in the near future with vehicles running on plastic-derived diesel, and ensuring that there is a practical commercial benefit derived from dealing with Britain's growing mixed waste plastic mountain."