Recycling Technologies signs agreement for first European site

SPECIALIST plastic recycling technology provider Recycling Technologies has signed an agreement with Brightlands Chemelot Campus, the Netherlands, to build its first European site within the campus. This will position the plant at one of the largest research and industrial sites in Europe.

According to McKinsey and Company, in 2016, of 260m t of mixed plastic waste only 16% was collected for recycling. The remaining amount was incinerated (25%), landfilled (40%), and 19% went to unmanaged dumps.

Recycling Technologies’ RT7000 is scalable patented technology that recycles low-grade plastic waste into a feedstock trademarked as Plaxx, which can be used to produce new   plastic. The machine employs thermal cracking – a process which breaks down longer chains of polymers into shorter chains using heat, in the absence of oxygen. The technology allows recovery from waste that is difficult to recycle through existing mechanical recycling methods and therefore disposed of through other means.

The next step for the agreement will be to secure necessary permitting and planning for the new plant, define the site layout, and initiate groundwork.

Brightlands Chemelot Campus is located near the main petrochemical hub in Europe, accounting for 40% of Europe’s chemical industry. It helps companies develop and scale up process technologies. The campus, together with Chemelot industrial park, form one of the largest sites for research and industry, in Europe.

The recent agreement marks a significant step for Recycling Technologies, as the new site will be the first outside of the UK to showcase, test, and deploy its technology throughout Europe. The company already has a commercial-scale plant in development in Perth, Scotland, which was partly funded with €10m (US$10.8m) from Nestlé, sustainable finance company Mirova, and Zero Waste Scotland, a not-for-profit environmental organisation.

Elena Parisi, Sales and Marketing Director at Recycling Technologies, said: “The strategic location of the Brightlands Chemelot Campus, at the heart of the petrochemical industry, our shared values of innovation, excellence and sustainability, and the mutual commitment to deliver a circular economy for plastics have been key factors driving our decision to begin our internationalisation from the Netherlands.

“The Campus has already attracted a number of companies with smart and commercial technologies to address major ecological challenges making it another ideal partner for us to advance the development and deployment of our technology in Europe.”

Recently the campus launched a sustainability and circular hub plan, with the aim of playing a leading role in implementing innovative solutions to solve ecological problems.