POST-INDUSTRIAL RECYCLING | INNOVATION


treated externally, primarily for metal recovery through thermal recycling. This project strengthens Hansgrohe’s commit- ment to sustainability by reducing resource use and transport needs. Already, its Planet Edition hand showers feature recycled plastic recovered using the new process. “By recycling on-site, we combine ecological responsibility with economic benefits,” said Semling.


PIR content Materials companies have reported on a variety of new products containing PIR content. ReGen is a recycled material which is regranulated into high-quality recycled PE resin, which is then used in packaging company Coveris’s film extrusion processes. In June 2024, Coveris launched its ReCover de-inking facility in Louth, UK. This plant processes post-industrial PE film waste, such as printed packaging offcuts, using an innovative de-inking recycling process. Italian compounder Rialti – a subsidiary of


Borealis since 2023 – has introduced new PP compound grades containing a mix of PCR and PIR content. Rialti says its new grades are designed for structural applications, and provide a competitive alternative to virgin materials. The new Rialfill and Rialglass compounds have a recycled content ranging from 30-40% PCR and 20-40% PIR. It has the facility to produce up to 50,000 tonnes of mechanically recycled PP annually. The company says the new compounds will help manufacturers meet anticipated ELV targets. In March this year, Belgium-based Syensqo (pre- viously the materials, composites and solutions business of Solvay) announced a partnership with US-based carbon fibre recycling technologies company Vartega. Their technical and commercial collaboration aims to create an ecosystem to foster the use of PIR carbon fibre products in high performance applications. This collaboration will use Vartega’s process to


transform dry carbon fibre and prepreg waste from Syensqo’s North American facilities into Vartega’s EasyFeed Bundles. The recycled carbon fibre will be incorporated into Syensqo’s Echo portfolio of carbon fibre-reinforced specialty polymers, used for high-performance applications in the automo- tive industry, including structural components, dampening rings, and transmission-related parts. “Vartega exists to help our customers solve the


world’s toughest advanced materials recycling challenges,” said Andrew Maxey, CEO of Vartega. “Syensqo’s leadership in sustainable composites is demonstrated through their efforts to incorporate


www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com


renewable feedstocks and reduce composites waste as evidenced through this collaboration. Vartega makes this possible by giving composites waste a second life while enabling a significant reduction to the product carbon footprint. We are pleased to collaborate with Syensqo to advance this closed loop model.”


Mixing with PCR While mechanical recycling remains vital for post-industrial plastics, a notable trend in 2024- 2025 has been the acceleration of chemical recycling technologies, which are increasingly being deployed not just to tackle hard-to-recycle PCR waste but also to handle complex PIR materi- als that mechanical recycling struggles with — in- cluding multi-layer films, contaminated industrial scrap, and composite offcuts. In June 2024, Eastman Chemical broke ground on its second US molecular recycling facility in Texas, which will process a mix of PIR and PCR poly- ester waste into new plastics. Meanwhile, in Europe, BASF announced plans to expand its ChemCycling project to include larger volumes of post-industrial feedstocks, citing growing demand from the automotive and packaging sectors for high-purity recycled materials. In January, luxury vinyl tile flooring (LVT) pro-


ducer Nox Corporation signed an MoU with BASF to enhance resource circularity and reduce virgin fossil use. The partnership will integrate BASF’s ChemCycling programme into Nox’s production, introducing DOTP plasticisers made from recycled mixed plastic waste. ChemCycling uses a pyrolysis- based technology on plastics waste with the output fed into BASF’s Verbund production system, and the feedstock is attributed to certified products in a mass balance approach. Under the terms of the MoU, BASF will supply ChemCycling-based DOTP


May/June 2025 | PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD 19


Above: Rialti has introduced new PP


compound grades


containing a mix of PCR and PIR content


IMAGE: RIALTI


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46