How Bitcoin mining could solve waste problems and rid the oceans of plastic

The integration of Bitcoin mining facilities at landfill sites has become increasingly important in recent years. Various concepts in which the methane gas from landfills is converted into electricity for ASIC miners have been proven to offer economic benefits for operators and also have a positive impact on the environment and society by reducing emissions.

In addition to the utilization of landfill gas, various companies are increasingly experimenting with the conversion of solid and liquid waste products into electricity for mining. Blocktrainer.de has already reported on the cooperation between the companies Reformed Energy and Riot Platforms, which are using the plasma gasification process to convert waste into synthetic gas by heating it up and using it to power the electricity generators for the Bitcoin mining facility.

Depolymerization is another promising and sustainable method for recycling plastics that conserves fossil resources, reduces waste and produces energy - for Bitcoin mining, among other things.

In a patented recycling process based on the targeted chemical process of depolymerization, specific plastic waste, such as car tires or plastic waste, is broken down into its basic building blocks - or the long polymer chains are split into shorter hydrocarbon molecules, known as monomers. This is done by heating under controlled conditions, whereby the temperature range of 200 to 400 degrees Celsius, for example, is significantly more moderate than in the plasma-based, more than 5,000-degree-hot process of plasma gasification. The addition of certain catalysts can reduce the reaction temperature of the substances during decomposition and thus the energy requirement and make the process more efficient.

While in plasma gasification the priority is on energy recovery and mixed waste is recycled and completely decomposed, depolymerization is only suitable for certain plastics, whereby the chemical structure of the molecules is retained. This is intended to maximize recyclability and create usable products, such as high-quality raw materials for further processing or various fuels and gases that can also be used to run electricity generators. At the same time, this process reduces the environmental impact and energy consumption of recycling. According to the patent for the process, it would be more inefficient, environmentally damaging and resource-intensive to simply incinerate or landfill the plastics.

Depolymerization makes waste usable as an energy source in a sustainable way and, in conjunction with a Bitcoin mining system, converts it into Bitcoin. This also leads to a reduction in landfill pollution, energy costs and emissions.

The US companies Hy-Poly Recycling and Trend Discovery have joined forces with the mining company Kratos Digital Mining to test the integration of Bitcoin mining into the process.

Kratos, owned by Britt Swann and Dan Koehler, is a company already involved in other sustainable Bitcoin mining projects and is active in promoting the ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance ) aspects of Bitcoin. Not much is known about the other two companies. The founder of Hy-Poly Recycling, Adam Brosten, was the temporary owner of the rights to the above-mentioned patent.

The products from the car tires are recycled steel and recycled rubber, which can be used to manufacture new products, as well as aerosolized gas and diesel gas. These gases can be used for energy, e.g. as a liquid fuel or gaseous substance for power generation, in generators, in industrial processes or to support the recycling process itself. In this case, the aerosolized gas (propane) powers the generators for the entire recycling plant and the Bitcoin miners.

After the test phase, the companies want to expand and scale the process and use their knowledge to support other projects. Theoretically, the concept can be adapted to various circumstances and could also be implemented on a ship, for example, to specifically combat the waste problem in the oceans.

This could create an almost closed cycle: Plastic waste is salvaged from the sea and fed into the boiler. The recycling process produces diesel, which is used as fuel for the ship, and propane, which powers the electricity generators for Bitcoin miners. These miners create financial value with the help of satellite internet, which flows back into the project and covers running costs. The waste heat from the mining equipment is also used to dry the plastic waste before it enters the boiler.

As soon as we run the machine with the collected raw materials, it becomes a perpetual motion machine powered by Bitcoin.
_{Brad Hoagland, founder of Trend Discovery}

However, further tests will have to show whether the theory can also be put into practice.

The integration of Bitcoin mining into the depolymerization process is further evidence of the benefits and environmentally friendly aspects of Bitcoin. At the same time, it reinforces the changing, increasingly positive public perception of mining.

Monetizing the energy generated from plastic waste through Bitcoin mining creates additional financial incentives for environmental protection. At the same time, it makes it economically less attractive to continue disposing of waste improperly.

Plastic waste that would otherwise end up in landfills or in the oceans, causing financial, social and environmental costs, becomes valuable raw materials and energy sources through this energy recycling method. The concept could make it financially attractive to salvage plastic from the oceans or recycle landfills step by step and transform the resources obtained into Bitcoin. At the same time, it makes a sustainable contribution to reducing emissions and other environmental impacts - which is ultimately more than just a welcome side effect.