Pyrolysis is a thermo-chemical process and is used in different areas of waste management. So far, it has not been successful in thermal waste recycling. New waste streams and legal requirements lead to changes in the existing framework conditions. There are new opportunities for residual pyrolysis to become economically successful. The goal is to capture the potential opportunities of pyrolysis and question them critically. Therefore, the work is divided into three sections. The first part examines the current status of waste pyrolysis and summarizes the results in a technology and plant overview. The second part analyzes the current and future situation on the waste market. For this purpose, two potentially suitable wastes for pyrolysis, sewage sludge and CFRP waste, are scrutinized precisely. In the last section, a simple simulation model based on an energy and mass balance is developed to quantify the market opportunities and cost-effectiveness of a pyrolysis plant. The results are evaluated by means of sensitivity analysis.