The RINSE Project
Pyrolysis: Malaria protection without pollution
The Problem
More than 3.5 billion Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) have been distributed worldwide, with ~400 million added each year. This intervention has saved hundreds of millions of lives and must continue. This breakthrough traces back to Dr. Pierre Carnevale, who pioneered the first field trials of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, laying the foundation for what became one of the most effective malaria prevention tools in history.
However, all LLINs and their packaging are made of non-biodegradable plastics and impregnated with insecticides. After 1–2 years of use, discarded nets create a massive and growing end-of-life crisis: plastic pollution, micro- and nano-plastic contamination, chemical exposure, and potential insecticide resistance pressure.
Many current “solutions” focus on upcycling, crushing, or repurposing nets into new objects. While often well-intentioned and visually appealing, these approaches frequently move the problem from site A to site B. Plastic remains plastic — now fragmented, dispersed, and more likely to enter soil, water, air, and human bodies through microplastics.
Cleaning a warehouse does not equal solving pollution.
If the objective were merely to make waste disappear from sight, one could dump it into the ocean — problem solved… or rather, made invisible.
Helping is noble. Helping without creating new long-term harm is essential. Any end-of-life solution must therefore be assessed not only by what it removes today, but by what it leaves behind tomorrow.
The Solution
The RINSE Project applies controlled, high-performance pyrolysis to address the end-of-life challenge of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and their plastic packaging.
Pyrolysis is a well-established thermal process that converts plastic back into fuel. What makes RINSE different is how the technology is engineered and deployed: under controlled conditions, with verified yields, controlled emissions, and complete destruction of both plastic polymers and insecticide residues.
Unlike many “recycling” approaches that reshape plastic into new forms, RINSE eliminates the material entirely, producing a clean fuel with no remaining plastic and no insecticide.
Key operational advantages:
Mobile units (up to 1 ton capacity) can be mounted on open-bed vehicles and deployed directly in villages, drastically reducing collection and transport constraints
Fixed units (up to 5 tons capacity) operate in centralized facilities where return schemes are in place (e.g. old net exchanged for a new one)
The recovered fuel can be used locally to power engines and equipment, closing the loop on-site
Why choose RINSE
The challenge of plastic pollution is often approached with good intentions — but not all solutions truly solve the problem.
Methods such as crushing, melting, or basic upcycling do not remove plastic. They simply move it from one location or form to another, while accelerating the formation of micro- and nanoplastics. These particles persist in the environment and are increasingly linked to long-term risks for ecosystems and human health.
If the objective were merely to clear warehouses of old nets, there would be many easy — and irresponsible — ways to do so. RINSE starts from a different premise: helping must never create new harm.
What RINSE delivers:
Complete elimination of plastic and insecticide — not displacement
No toxic emissions, verified under controlled conditions
Reduced pressure on insecticide resistance by removing residual active compounds from the environment
Local job creation and income generation, replacing disposal costs with value
A self-sustaining circular model, where waste becomes energy
Pyrolysis itself is not a secret or a novelty. What is rare is a system that combines performance, safety, mobility, and scalability in real-world conditions.
RINSE is not a concept. It is a deployable tool — built to work where the problem exists.
Protection Without Pollution
RINSE demonstrates that malaria protection and environmental safety are not competing priorities.
No trade-off
Effective vector control can continue without leaving behind plastic and chemical pollution.Proven, not experimental
Pyrolysis is a mature technology, independently verified, and successfully applied to LLINs for the first time.Deployable at scale
Mobile units (up to 1 ton) reach villages directly; fixed units (up to 5 tons) process large volumes in centralized hubs.Value-creating, not cost-driven
While conventional approaches focus on managing waste at a cost, RINSE eliminates it while creating energy, jobs, and economic opportunity.
RINSE turns a public health success into a fully sustainable solution — protecting lives without polluting the future.
Scientific validation
The RINSE approach is supported by a peer-reviewed publication in
Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease (2025).
Read the publication
Contact Us
Reach out to discuss scalable, sustainable solutions for end-of-life LLIN management.