Carbogenics’ innovative low carbon process converts waste paper cups and other low-value paper waste into CreChar® – a carbon-rich material that stimulates biogas production and improves plant growth.

Around 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups are thrown away each year – and that’s just in the UK!

The plastic coating which stops them leaking makes the cups difficult to recycle, so the majority of this waste is landfilled or incinerated – generating thousands of tons of carbon dioxide, an important greenhouse gas.
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Recently, we discovered that a rather old process, called pyrolysis, offers a sustainable solution to up-cycle paper cups and other non-recyclable paper waste into a range of high-value products.

Our Process
Turning cups into carbon
​Our process uses pyrolysis to convert mineral-rich organic waste materials like disposable paper cups, low-grade recycled paper and paper mill sludge into high-value carbon composite materials (CreChar).
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Pyrolysis is a low carbon technology.
Under the absence of oxygen, at high temperatures (350-800°C) biomass decomposes into gases, bio-oil and a carbon-rich solid. The gas and bio-oil can be used to produce energy or can be upgraded for the recovery of valuable chemicals.
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The carbon in CreChar is in a very stable form, which means it is very resistant to being broken down by microbes and will not be released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide for hundreds of years.
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CreChar reduces carbon dioxide emissions up to half in comparison to paper cup waste that is incinerated.

http://www.crechar.com
www.linkedin.com/company/carbogenics-ltd

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Pencil drawings: Eliza Marcinowicz.
Animated and produced by Wee Dog Media.