Südpack and Clean Cycle invest in Recenso’s chemical recycling tech for mixed plastic waste

11 Mar 2022 --- Südpack and Clean Cycle have signed an agreement to invest long-term in Carboliq, the provider of a “unique” chemical recycling technology developed by Recenso. 

The companies will pool their expertise in material management to advance the chemical recycling technology. Their aim is to expand available capacities for the highly efficient technology to a wider range of plastics.

“In a wide range of applications, for example, in the food industry, high-performance multilayer films with effective protective functions are the most efficient solutions for keeping all kinds of food fresh. And they’ll remain the best choice in the future,” says Dirk Hardow, business unit manager at Südpack. 

The companies plan to make currently non-reusable packaging materials suitable for recycling and the circular economy as demand for recycled content increases.

The partners say they can demonstrate that numerous material fractions and mixed and contaminated plastic waste can be converted into a valuable resource.

“The investment in Carboliq creates a powerful company that will in the medium term continually expand its capacities for highly efficient recycling of a wide variety of plastics,” says Christian Haupts, Carboliq’s CEO. 

The companies’ aim is to further expand available capacities for the innovative and highly efficient chemical recycling of a wide range of plastics.Competitive circular benefits
Besides the large diversity of input materials, the Carboliq process offers competitive advantages in terms of energy efficiency and low emissions. 

The oil recovered is virgin-grade quality and can be used by the plastics industry in the same way as fossil fuels to produce a wide spectrum of plastic granulates. These granulates can in turn be processed to produce high-performance films for sophisticated packaging applications required in the food industry.

“Fundamentally, our joint vision is tackling the problem of high-performance flexible packaging materials that can’t be mechanically recycled with current technology. We aim to make them recyclable and therefore compatible with future needs,” says Haupts.

The cooperation has applied the technology for resource recovery from their own recyclable material flows and to recycle packaging materials from processing and end customers.

Besides the large diversity of input materials, the CARBOLIQ process offers competitive advantages in terms of energy efficiency and low emissions.A unique process
Recenso plants for direct oiling work according to the catalytic tribochemical conversion process and are unique in the world.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) recently announced its position on chemical recycling, labeling it “an emerging technology with unknown environmental and social outcomes.”

More recently, UN member states unanimously agreed to develop a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution in what WWF called the most significant environmental action since the 1989 Montreal Protocol, which effectively phased out ozone-depleting substances.

Last year, Südpack hosted its first digital press conference, outlining the challenges and successes the company experienced throughout 2020, including chemical recycling strides and CO2 reductions. The coextruded film producer also highlighted the results of its 2020 sustainability report.

Also, Südpack acquired Netherlands-based LPF Flexible Packaging from the Clondalkin Group for an undisclosed fee. LPF is a manufacturer of high-barrier films for sensitive products, which Südpack says will constitute a key part of its future growth strategy.

Edited

By Natalie Schwertheim

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