Plastic waste has emerged as a major environmental threat to the international community. On the domestic front, a surge in the use of disposable products has been giving rise to various social issues. These trends have necessitated circular economy strategies as a fundamental way to reduce the generation of plastic waste. The plastic waste problem should also be addressed from the perspective of carbon neutrality given that a considerable amount of GHG is generated in the process of producing, using, and disposing of plastic. Recently, pyrolysis of plastic waste is gaining attention as a solution to mitigate these issues. Chemical recycling, including pyrolysis, is expected to become a key to processing plastic waste that cannot be recycled mechanically, such as mixed plastic film, securing an alternative to petrochemical feedstock, and reducing GHG generation compared to incineration.

This research examined the domestic conditions for promoting pyrolysis of plastic waste. It also identified issues in supply and segregation/separation of plastic waste feedstock, standards and location for a pyrolysis facility, marketability of pyrolysis oil, and calculation of GHG reduction amount. Furthermore, this study presented policy tasks to facilitate the plastic waste pyrolysis industry with a focus on recycling them as feedstock such as a replacement for petroleum-based naphtha.

This research also aimed to contribute to the creation of circular economy-based GHG mitigation strategies by presenting policy directions for climate crisis response and for revision to relevant legislation on pyrolysis in a timely manner.

Keywords: Plastic waste, pyrolysis, chemical recycling, circular economy, carbon neutrality 

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