Worried about rising fuel prices? Soon, waste plastic may power your car

Scientists say they have successfully converted discarded plastic into hydrogen fuel, which in turn could be used to run cars.

Light-absorbing material is added to the plastic before it is placed in an alkaline solution and then exposed to sunlight, which creates hydrogen, said researchers from Swansea University in the UK.

The process could be cheaper than recycling because any kind of plastic can be used and it does not need to be cleaned first, they said.

"There's a lot of plastic used every year -- billions of tonnes -- and only a fraction of it is being recycled. We are trying to find a use for what is not being recycled," said Moritz Kuehnel from Swansea University.

Most plastic bottles are made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate) which can be recycled but often end up being burned or thrown into a landfill.

ArcelorMittal denies French pollution charge, says 97% residue recycled

Facing allegations of pollution, steel giant ArcelorMittal has said 97 per cent of residues from the Florange site in France are recycled or recovered and its internal probe has concluded that there is no wrong-doing.

The statement comes amid reports by French newspaper The Repulicain Lorrain that the public prosecutor's office in Thionville has opened an investigation into the alleged acid pollution of ArcelorMittal's crassier in Florange of France.

"ArcelorMittal and all of Florange's staff work are in full compliance with our authorisations to operate and store our residues. For the past 10 years, the Florange site has considerably reduced the volume of residues deposited in the storage area and today, 97 per cent of the residues from the site are recycled or recovered," said Eric Niedziela, CEO of ArcelorMittal Atlantique and Lorraine, in a statement.

"Our internal investigation concludes that there is neither fraud nor pollution," Niedziela said.

Announcing the conclusion of the internal investigation, Niedziela stressed: "We take our responsibilities very seriously and continue to work intensively to improve treatment and recovery of our residues to reduce our environmental footprint."

The steelmaker said: "No dumping of pure acid has been done... The acid used for the pickling process is systematically regenerated and reused."

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