LyondellBasell Industries [LYBN:MM], one of the world’s largest plastics, chemicals, and refining companies, and EEW Energy, a thermal waste treatment firm, have signed a letter of intent to explore a partnership aimed at recycling plastics from incineration waste streams, as reported by Reuters on March 27. The companies have signed a letter of intent to explore a partnership that would involve the construction of waste pre-sorting facilities at or near EEW’s incineration plants in Germany. The facilities would remove plastics from the waste streams that are sent for incineration, with the companies investing in advanced sorting facilities to refine the plastic that has been removed. The aim of the collaboration is to close the loop on plastics that are currently incinerated, reducing the fossil emissions associated with their combustion. The move is seen as a response to the waste crisis, which has led lawmakers to consider measures to reduce the use of plastics.

The proposed collaboration between LyondellBasell and EEW Energy is part of a broader trend in the chemical and plastics industry toward “advanced recycling” technologies. Unlike traditional mechanical recycling, which involves melting down plastics and reforming them into new products, advanced recycling uses chemical processes to break down plastics into their constituent molecules, which can then be used to make new plastics.

Sources:
https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/lyondellbasell-eew-energy-partner-advanced-plastic-recycling-2023-03-27/
https://plasticmakers.org/our-solutions/advanced-recycling-technologies/