As regulatory pressure mounts for aviation, the race is on for new sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) feedstocks.
SAF is a cornerstone of aviation's decarbonization plans, an industry responsible for around 2.5% of global emissions. It’s a drop-in alternative fuel, made from sources of waste or biomass rather than petrochemicals. SAF is designed to cut the overall impact of flying when compared to conventional fuel, though the extent of that depends on how it’s made and what it’s made from.
The European Union’s ReFuelEU Aviation set out a modest 2% blending goal for sustainable aviation fuel in 2025, though this increases over time to 70% by 2050, and the UN’s aviation decarbonization scheme CORSIA is set to become mandatory in 2027.
Today’s alternative fuel largely comes from old cooking oils and biomass such as agricultural waste or crops, but supply of these feedstocks is tight, pushing developers, airlines, and corporate backers into less established pathways.
China’s pyrolysis technology maker Niutech Technology Group just announced plans to convert plastic waste into SAF — using our plastic pollution problem as a solution to SAF supply crunches.
Pyrolysis is a high-temperature, low-oxygen system akin to a pressure cooker. It can convert plastic waste into an oil intermediate, which then can be turned into SAF. Niutech has signed a deal with an unnamed energy provider, where it will install its technology and equipment in one of the partner’s refineries.
It is not the only company looking at plastics or alternative feedstocks. Clean Planet Group is also working to turn hard-to-recycle waste plastics into SAF, and Firefly is using treated sewage.
This is by no means a blanket fix for aviation, given how nascent the technology is, but it shows how SAF development is diversifying. Lifecycle analysis, data collection and certification will be needed to understand what really counts as sustainable feedstock.
SAF made up just 0.6% of global aviation fuel consumption in 2025, according to data from industry association IATA. It is expected to increase slightly to 0.8% this year, costing airlines $4.3 billion in 2026.
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