Indonesia's BRIN launches plastic-to-fuel technology to tackle waste

The history of modern plastics dates back to the 1860s when a U.S. billiard‑ball company sought a substitute for elephant ivory, leading to the development of celluloid and later bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic. After extensive use in World War II, plastics entered civilian markets and today billions of tonnes have been produced, resulting in widespread environmental pollution, including micro‑plastics in ecosystems.

Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) has introduced a fast‑pyrolysis process called Fastpol that converts low‑value plastic waste into a high‑quality diesel‑like fuel named Petasol. The pilot, launched on 9 June 2026 in Bantul, Yogyakarta, uses temperatures of 250‑350 °C for 7‑8 hours, yielding about 0.8‑0.9 litre of fuel per kilogram of plastic. Researchers such as Heru Susanto highlight the technology’s low production cost and its potential to create economic incentives for waste‑sorting and recycling while reducing plastic accumulation.