For decades now, man has been creating plastics by heating oil until it forms polymers. Now discarded plastic is filling our oceans and threatening an environmental catastrophe.

But a Kent firm believes it has the answer - turn the plastic back into oil.

Tim StClair-Pearce, the managing director of QM Recycled Energy (QMRE) has spent 40 years working in the plastic, print and laminate industries. But three years ago, he began to look for a solution to the problem those industries were creating.

A global search revealed several firms had developed technologies to reverse the plastic process - but they were uneconomic to run.

Then he found the Chinese had developed a method called pyrolysis that was competitive as long as the process was allowed to run continuously for 30 days.

But bringing Chinese technology in the UK proved too difficult.

Finally, he discovered a small German technology company Biofrabrik working along the same lines.

Together they have refined a system that could help deal with the 90% of plastics that currently go unrecycled.

Mr StClair-Pearce said: "Despite what people might think as we do away with plastic carrier bags in our supermarkets, the use of plastic is still on the increase.

"Plastics do have their place and with a method of recycling them, we will be able to continue to use plastics for what they are good for."

Two weeks ago the company took delivery of its first demonstration machine, named Marie, at its site in Longfield near Dartford.

The container-size plant can process up to a 1,000kg of unsorted waste plastic every day. The plastic is first shredded and then stored in a silo until the system is activated.

Then it is drawn up into the reactor which containers an Archimedes Screw propulsive drive.

The reactor is clad with patented electric heater panels that melt the plastic.

At high temperatures the molecular chains split. It is thermal kettle - there is no oxygen present and there is no direct burning of the plastic.

The thermal reaction begins at 400 degrees centigrade - de-polymerising the plastic and creating a carbon vapour, which flows into a condensation system where it becomes liquid again. Once the gases are flowing, they can be used to produce electricity which in turn can run the machine - or even provide electricity for the national grid. The by-products are a carbon ash and a heavy duty fuel oil, suitable for use by shipping or heavy industry.

Mr StClair-Pearce said that for every kilogram of waste plastic recycled, one litre of oil and one kilowatt of electricity could be produced.

All the equipment is self contained within the unit which can be transported and used locally anywhere where there is power source - avoiding the need to ship the plastic waste across the country.

QMRE, which has its headquarters in Tonbridge , is the exclusive distributor of the WASTX Plastic P Series plants throughout the UK.

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