Stuart Hepworth, managing director of Environmental Waste Management Corporation of Huddersfield, is launching a machine that uses microwaves to split tyres, medical wastes and household rubbish into oil, carbon and other useful industrial materials.
The technology is the key to the environment-friendly disposal of most wastes, its backers claim.
Unlike incineration, fast becoming the most popular way of dealing with rising waste mountains, microwaving produces no hazardous airborne emissions or toxic ash.
The technology had a broad range of applications, from sewage and desalination of salt water to the reclamation of contaminated landfill.
Tests carried out in Canada indicate that a typical car tyre is split into 9lb of carbon suitable for use in steel making, 4lb of steel, a gallon of oil and 2ozs of sulphur.
Heat produced by the process can be used to turn a steam generator to power the process, as can methane gas and the oil by-product.
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