New Atlas

Environment Audio available

Heat and carbon turn plastic waste into jet fuel

Ben Coxworth June 3, 2019

Commonly used to make a wide variety of items, low-density polyethylene can be recycled into new plastic, but there's much more waste than recycling facilities can currently handle. With that in mind, scientists have now devised a method of converting the material into something else – jet fuel.

Aircraft Audio available

"Recycled-carbon" jet fuel gets its first commercial use

Ben Coxworth October 4, 2018

It was back in 2011 that we first heard how Virgin Atlantic Airways was planning to use an eco-friendly aviation fuel made from captured steel mill waste gases. A successful test flight followed in 2016, and the fuel has now been utilized in a commercial flight for the first time.

The fuel was used in a 747 flying from Florida to London

Automotive

British Airways plans to turn trash into jet fuel

Scott Collie September 18, 2017

British Airways has announced plans to create a set of waste plants that turn regular household waste into jet fuel for its fleet. The plan, currently being assessed in collaboration with renewable fuels company Velocys, is part of a program designed to cut fleet-wide emissions in half by 2050.

British Airways plans to use household waste to produce fuel for its 787 Dreamliners

Environment

Alaska Airlines fuels commercial flight with forestry waste

Eric Mack November 15, 2016

Alaska Airlines has flown a number of commercial passengers across the United States, fueled by woody biomass.

Fueling up a commercial flight with locally sourced biofuel

Aircraft

United Airlines commences regular bio-fueled flights

John Anderson March 21, 2016

Without much in the way of fanfare, United Airlines began flying regularly scheduled flights using biofuels earlier this month. It's the first instance of a US airline putting commercial-scale volumes of biofuel into passenger-carrying planes on an ongoing basis.

United Airlines has signed a deal with biofuel maker AltaAir Paramount to supply 15 million gallons ...

Science

Jet-fuel-powered fuel cell developed that produces electricity at room temperature

Colin Jeffrey November 5, 2014

Using jet propellent and a combination of enzymes as catalysts, researchers at the University of Utah have produced a prototype fuel cell that runs at room temperature and without the need to ignite the fuel.

Researchers at the University of Utah have created a jet-fuel powered fuel cell that runs at ...