LyondellBasell and AFA Nord build secondary packaging recycling unit in Germany

20 Jun 2023 --- LyondellBasell and agricultural film recycler AFA Nord are creating a 50:50 joint venture company named LMF Nord to recycle post-commercial flexible secondary packaging waste. The partners will build a mechanical recycling plant in Northern Germany to convert linear low-density PP (LLDPE) and low-density PE (LDPE) waste into quality recycled plastic materials for use in flexible packaging.

The recycling unit is expected to produce 26,000 metric tons of recycled LDPE and LLDPE annually and begin production by early 2025.

LyondellBasell will market the products through its CirculenRecover range for various uses, including stretch films and collation shrink films. Additionally, TM Recycling, a sister company of AFA Nord, will provide the feedstock for LMF Nord.

“This joint venture will provide recycled LDPE and LLDPE materials and complement our existing CirculenRecover range of HDPE and PP products,” says Yvonne van der Laan, LyondellBasell’s executive vice president of circular and low carbon solutions.

The CirculenRecover product family comprises a wide range of mechanically recycled materials currently used in applications ranging from electrical appliances to washing detergent bottles and suitcases.

“It [the joint venture] adds to our efforts in advanced recycling and delivers against our integrated hub strategy, where we invest upstream to provide feedstock from various plastic waste streams,” continues van der Laan.

“With this efficient full suite of solutions, we continue to be the preferred partner of our customers.”LMF Nord will boost secondary packaging circularity.

Secondary packaging circularity
The companies assert that until now, secondary plastic packaging has been challenging to recycle into high-quality raw materials that can meet the requirements of the packaging industry regarding the strength and transparency of their final product. 

Secondary plastic packaging, such as stretch or shrink film, is mainly used to hold packed consumer goods together and protect them from contamination and damage during transportation and storage.

“We already operate Germany’s only agricultural film recycling plant for a number of years and have a broad experience in the production of recycled materials,” says Andreas Mensing, managing director of AFA Nord. 

“Together with LyondellBasell, we can contribute to a circular economy and increase the availability of recycled solutions for flexible packaging applications.”

“Plastics circularization”
Global market researcher Innova Market Insights revealed “Plastics circularization” as the top packaging trend for 2023, finding that plastic packaging consumption will continue to grow despite anti-plastic sentiment. According to the researcher, 61% of global consumers believe the increased use of plastic packaging is necessary for safety reasons since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“To improve plastic circularity, we’re noticing an increasing shift toward monomaterial films using LDPE and PP, for which recycling infrastructure already exists,” said Akhil Eashwar Aiyar, projects leader at Innova Market Insights.

We also spoke to India’s largest plastics processor Supreme Industries, at Interpack 2023. The company’s vice president Vivek Taparia claimed that plastic is “irreplaceable.” 

Edited by Radhika Sikaria