The pilot facility will be equipped with advanced technologies to convert post-consumer plastic waste into new plastics

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Image: The new pilot facility in Italy will convert post-consumer plastic waste into new plastics. Photo: courtesy of Ben Kerckx from Pixabay.

LyondellBasell has announced the construction of a new small-scale molecular recycling facility in Ferrara, Italy, in an effort to combat the global plastic waste.

The small-scale pilot facility will be equipped with new technologies to enable conversion of post-consumer plastic waste into new plastics.

The recycling facility to complement LyondellBasell’s existing mechanical recycling activities

LyondellBasell, in collaboration with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), has developed new molecular recycling technology, MoReTec.

The technology makes use of a catalyst to break down plastics waste into molecules more quickly and efficiently when compared to traditional chemical recycling technologies.

The technology has been designed to convert typically difficult to recycle plastic waste such as multi-layer films, into their molecular state for use as feedstock to produce new plastic. The new plastic can be in applications including food contact and healthcare items.

LyondellBasell research & development, technology and sustainability senior vice president Jim Seward said: “We have advanced our chemical recycling capabilities over the last 15 months, and through research and testing we are studying a number of LyondellBasell proprietary catalyst options.

“In addition to continuing the development of our catalyst options, our investment in a small-scale pilot facility will help us to advance MoReTec technology towards commercial scale in our quest to achieving a true circular economy.”

Besides constructing a pilot facility at Ferrara, LyondellBasell plans to focus on the interaction of various waste types on the molecular recycling process, catalyst selection, and process conditions in the coming months.

LyondellBasell said that the new facility will complement its existing mechanical recycling activities.

The company said in a statement: “The development of molecular recycling is just one of the three ways LyondellBasell is advancing sustainable solutions as it relates to plastic waste.”

In June this year, LyondellBasell and Neste said they have commenced the first commercial-scale production of bio-based plastic from renewable materials.

Both firms have started parallel production of bio-based polypropylene and bio-based low-density polyethylene at a commercial scale.