Treatment of waste

A method of treating contaminated plastics waste, said method including the steps of:

• a) providing a heating zone having an entry zone from which contaminated plastics waste can be fed into the heating zone and an exit zone beneath the entry zone,
• b) bringing said heating zone to a temperature at which the plastics waste can be melted,
• c) feeding contaminated plastics waste into the entry zone,
• d) allowing the contaminated plastics waste to fall under gravity the entry zone into the heated heating zone,
• e) heating said contaminated plastics waste in said heated heating zone to a temperature at which the plastics waste is melted and forms molten flowable viscous plastics waste containing contaminant inclusions,
• f) causing the said molten flowable viscous plastics waste containing contaminant inclusions to flow out of said heating zone through said exit zone, solely under the influence of gravity, and
• g) said exit zone having a cross-sectional area of such dimensions that the said molten flowable viscous plastics waste containing contaminant inclusions flows out of said exit zone uninterrupted by the presence of the contaminant inclusions, solely under the influence of gravity.

A method of encapsulating a contaminant which is a health hazard, said method including the steps of:

• a) providing a heating zone having an entry zone from which a contaminant that is a health hazard and plastics can be fed into the heating zone and an exit zone beneath the entry zone,
• b) brining said heating zone to a temperature at which the plastics can be melted,
• c) feeding the health hazard contaminant and the plastics into the entry zone,
• d) allowing the health hazard contaminant and plastics to fall under gravity from the entry zone into the heated heating zone,
• e) heating the health hazard contaminant and the plastics in said heated heating zone to a temperature at which the plastics is melted and forms molten flowable viscous plastics containing health hazard contaminant inclusions,
• f) causing the said molten flowable viscous plastics containing the health hazard contaminant inclusions to flow out of said heating zone to said exit zone, solely under the influence of gravity, and
• g) causing the said molten flowable viscous plastics containing the health hazard contaminant inclusions to flow, solely under the influence of gravity, from the exit zone into a cooling zone in which the molten flowable viscous plastics waste containing the health hazard contaminant inclusions is solidifed to produce solidified bodies which are of previously molten flowable viscous plastics and which encapsulate the said health hazard contaminant inclusions.