#Trending: Chemical Recycling of Plastics – The Missing Link in the Puzzle to Enhance Plastics Circularity

August 20, 2020

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by Sreeparna Das (BioMarket Insights) ... The collection & sorting of plastics waste is quite far from being at the required level. And, the recycled grades often don’t stand a chance against their low-cost virgin counterparts because of certain technical limitations, such as:

➔ Quality concerns:

◆ Thermal & mechanical degradation of the polymers post melting and reprocessing steps.

◆ Presence of impurities (additives, pigments, other polymers).

➔ Limited applicability: Not suitable for more complex, mixed plastic waste

So, how can we overcome these technical challenges?

Enter “chemical recycling”! Encompassing several different processes (solvolysis, depolymerisation, pyrolysis, and gasification), chemical recycling essentially includes processes that break-down the polymers into individual monomers or other chemical feedstock.

This offers several benefits vs. traditional methods. Additionally, some initial LCA studies published by CE Delft and BASF indicate that the CO2 emissions are less vs. incineration and energy recovery.

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Complete review of the start-ups available in the full report.

Many of the projects are currently mid-way and several companies, at present, are involved in completing trials, developing pilot plants and are in the process of moving towards commercialisation. There are still quite a few known and unknown challenges to address. Also, the impact of the pandemic on projected timelines is unclear as of now.

Chemical recycling, alone, can’t put an end to the plastic waste problem but it definitely boosts our chances of achieving true circularity of plastics. READ MORE

Spotlight on chemical recycling: Closing the loop in plastics recycling (Avantium/BioMarket Insights)

Chemical recycling or recovery? The circular economy hangs in the balance (Zero Waste Europe/BioMarket Insights)

The future of chemical recycling in tackling plastic waste (Cefic/BioMarket Insights)

Chemical recycling: the missing link in a closed and integrated value chain (Braskem/BioMarket Insights)

Plastic Pollution is a Crisis, But Solutions for a Circular Economy Exist (Our Daily Planet)

Potential challenges and opportunities of using chemical recycling for plastic wastes (BioMarket Insights)

Chemical Recycling, Global Status 2020 (AMI International)

Expert View – Fragments of plastic: consolidating the recycling supply chain. (BioMarket Insights)

PLASTIC MAKERS' NEW WASTE ROADMAP: (Politico's Morning Energy)

Neste, Mitsui Chemicals and Toyota Tsusho collaborate to start Japan's first production of renewable plastics from 100% bio-based hydrocarbons (Neste)

Excerpt from Politico's Morning Energy: PLASTIC MAKERS' NEW WASTE ROADMAP: The American Chemistry Council, a trade group representing top plastic manufacturers like Dow and Exxon Mobil, on Thursday outlined a two-decade recycling strategy aimed at eliminating the plastic waste that ends up in U.S. oceans and landfills. It set two goals: making all plastic packaging recyclable or recoverable by 2030; and actually reusing, recycling or recovery all plastic packaging by 2040.

There is reason to be skeptical of the new push by plastic makers and consumer brands. A recent NPR and PBS Frontline investigation found that the plastic industry three decades ago deployed a similar strategy: telling the public that recycling would work when the industry knew it wouldn't — all while making billions of dollars selling the world new plastic.

Keith Christman, managing director of plastic markets at the ACC, said this time it's different. There are widespread commitments by plastic manufacturers and consumer brands to buy recycled plastic, he said, which creates a market that largely dissolved when China in 2018 stopped buying the world's trash. For example, Shell within the next five years plans to use one million tons of plastic waste and turn it into chemicals used in feedstock.

In the last three years, there has been a $5.3 billion investment in this type of recycling technology, according to Christman. (For context, the oil industry makes more than $400 billion a year making plastic). READ MORE