Truzsi, AlexandraHermi, Malek2025-06-162025-06-162025-06-04https://hdl.handle.net/2437/391826Abstract Plastic waste has become a global environmental crisis in today’s fast-growing environment, with unsustainable levels of accumulation and traditional disposal methods such as landfilling. This thesis explores the valorization of plastic waste by focusing on pyrolysis, a chemical process that transforms plastic waste into usable fuels. While examining the relationship between economic development and plastic waste generation through the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) framework in China. The study was divided into two parts: • Experimental investigation: Validates the technical feasibility of small scale pyrolysis, where the findings demonstrated a 40% conversion rate of mixed plastic waste (HDPE, LDPE, PP, and PS) into diesel and gasoline, yielding 0.25 L and 0.15 L per kg of plastic. • Statistical analysis: Focusing on China from 2000 to 2019, testing the Environmental Kuznets Curve to determine whether economic growth correlates with plastic waste generation and management practices. The results reveal an inverted U-shaped relationship between GDP per capita and plastic waste, with a turning point at $19,749.83, indicating that plastic waste may decline after reaching this threshold. In addition, urbanization has an impact on the waste management methods. As urbanization increases, there is an increase in recycling and reduction in mismanagement. Recycling and incineration are associated with higher carbon dioxide emissions, which highlights the importance of employing clean energy in waste treatment. This study contributes to the discourse on sustainable waste management by proving that pyrolysis should be considered a potential solution to reduce plastic waste and transform it into usable fuel. In addition, it provides empirical evidence for the applicability of the Environmental Kuznets Curve to plastic pollution. Keywords: Plastic waste, pyrolysis, Environmental Kuznets Curve, waste valorization, economic development, sustainability.53enPlastic waste, chemical valorization, fuelsdynamics, environmental and economics performanceEnvironmental ScienceHozzáférhető a 2022 decemberi felsőoktatási törvénymódosítás értelmében.