How Pyrowave uses microwaves to break down plastics

You could almost call Jocelyn Doucet, CEO of Montreal-based Pyrowave, a shape shifter: With his company’s innovative microwave technology, plastic waste can be regenerated into new products.

The chemical engineer, who co-founded Pyrowave in 2014, joins Joe Mimran, host of Export Development Canada’s (EDC) Export Impact Podcast, to talk about his company’s mission to preserve the environment by helping industries reduce their carbon footprint.

A world leader in chemical recycling solutions for decarbonizing industries, Pyrowave uses microwaves powered by electricity to break down plastics to make it easier to recycle polymers and reuse them in high value-added products.

“At Pyrowave, we believe the future is electric and that electricity can power a broad range of innovations to catapult a circular economy and sustainable materials,” Doucet says.

The problem with plastics, especially single-use packaging and products, is “the lifetime of the material surpasses the lifetime of the application,” she explains.

To address the global waste crisis, Pyrowave has developed technologies to electrify the three most carbon-intensive materials: Plastic, steel and cement.

“If you look at the list of greenhouse gas emissions, this is what you see on the top. We need to bring a set of new technologies to decarbonize those materials because we need them for civilization. This is what we’re bringing to the market,” he says.

Three years ago, the company partnered with tire giant, Michelin, to help them reach their goal of becoming 100% sustainable by 2040, using recycled styrene in their tires.

“It’s one chemical; it’s a commodity chemical. We’re able, with our process, to make that chemical identical to virgin with waste” to create a lower carbon footprint, Doucet says.

Click here to listen to the full podcast.