The total production of global plastics is up to 400 million tons per year. Nearly 80% of the used plastics are directly landfilled or dumped in the environment, leading to the generation and release of microplastics, which poses a great threat to both environment and human health. How to recycle plastic waste efficiently and environmentally has become a common concern worldwide. Among the plastic waste recycling methods, chemical recycling such as pyrolysis can realize the transformation from polymer to high-value products. This paper summarizes the research and industrialization progress of four different plastic waste pyrolysis technologies, namely fast pyrolysis, catalytic pyrolysis, oxidative pyrolysis and hydro-pyrolysis. The challenges faced by the pyrolysis of plastic waste is discussed and the future development direction of various pyrolysis technologies is also outlooked. It is expected that some more efficient, environmentally friendly, and economical technologies of plastic waste pyrolysis can be explored in the future, to meet the growing demand for environmental protection and sustainable development.