Can you make oil from plastics?

The short answer is: Yes

Many people are surprised when they learn that one can make oil out of plastics.

But they actually should not be – because plastics were made from oil after all. Most plastics that we use today are made from crude oil or its derivatives as the starting point.

While it hence might be possible in theory, how does one actually get the oil back from the plastics?

The most common process for converting plastics back to oil is through a process called pyrolysis.

Pyrolysis refers to a heating of the plastics to about 400-500 degrees C in the absence of air. Under these circumstances, the plastic material decomposes into a mixture of oil and gases.

Depending on the specific parameters used during pyrolysis, one can get up to 600 Kg of oil from one ton of plastic.