AbstractPlasma pyrolysis is an innovative technology for transforming high calorific plastic waste into a valuable synthesis gas (syngas) by means of thermal plasma. The process developed is a drastic non-incineration thermal process, which uses extremely high temperature in an oxygen-starved environment to completely decompose input plastic waste into syngas, composed of very simple molecules: CO, H2 and small amount of higher hydrocarbons. A 20kg/hr capacity plasma arc pyrolyser for treatment of plastic waste as well as energy recovery options from waste plastic has been indigenously designed, developed, installed and studied its performance at the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CSIR), Durgapur. After pyrolysis of plastic waste in the plasma arc reactor, generated hot gases (syngas) are quenched through water scrubbing to avoid recombination reactions of gaseous molecules; this inhibits the formation of toxic gases. Syngas composition has been characterized by Gas chromatograph; residue/ash collected at the bottom of the pyrolyser has been analyzed on Neutron Activation Analyzer (NAA). Research results indicated that the developed plasma pyrolyser might be a useful way of plastic waste treatment for energy recovery.