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Firm showcases diesel, kerosene produced from plastics wastes

By Iyabo Lawal, Ibadan
15 September 2016   |   2:26 am
As the nation moves to diversify the economy from oil, an Ibadan-based firm, Education Advancement Centre (EAC) yesterday showcased a set of chemical products made from plastics and cans wastes.
plastics wastes

plastics wastes

As the nation moves to diversify the economy from oil, an Ibadan-based firm, Education Advancement Centre (EAC) yesterday showcased a set of chemical products made from plastics and cans wastes.

The products include diesel, kerosene and alum, which were made from plastic and cans wastes instead of crude oil.

At an exhibition to commemorate its 20th anniversary, the Director of EAC, Muyiwa Bamgbose said the initiative would help reduce environmental degradation.

Bamgbose said rather than relying on oil, which is quite expensive, the waste materials, which are available in huge quantity, are far cheaper.

For instance, he said a litre of kerosene and diesel they produced costs N120 instead of the N200 it is being sold nationwide.

He, however, pointed out that the centre is looking for investors or manufacturers that can go into large-scale.

Bamgbose, in an interview with reporters, said: “For the diesel and kerosene, we call them green products. They are made from waste thermosetting plastics, which do not have any recycle value. The non-thermosetting plastics can be recycled. From those thermosetting plastics, we have been able to produce kerosene that can reduce the cost of fuel and get our environment cleaner because they are non-degradable.

“The other part is the aluminum from cans. When people finish drinking from aluminum cans, they throw them away. Some compress them and export. But this is something that is more useful to us in Nigeria.

“Waterworks need alum to make water cleaner. Right now, it is at a pilot scale. We can produce about 500 litres of kerosene and diesel per day. We are able to produce a trailer load of alum in two days. We will begin to offer the products in the next few days.

“We have approached the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) for quality control and standardisation and they are happy to visit our factory.”

He added: “But we are not interested in producing on a large scale. We are looking for factories or investors that will do that. We will just sell the licence to them and they can produce on large scale for Nigerians. They will end up helping our environment by ridding it of the wastes, which have constituted nuisance all over the country.”

The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Adeniyi Olowofela, who was at the exhibition said the products developed by the firm showed that the nation has great prospects.

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