The plant in Eicklingen will be used to process difficult-to-recycle plastic waste for chemical recycling.

The plant operated by One Source Plastics, a joint venture between 23 Oaks Investments and LyondellBasell, is to process mixed plastic packaging and flexible polyolefins, for example, which would otherwise mainly be sent for incineration. An innovative drying process is said to be used that would reduce energy consumption by up to thirty per cent compared to conventional plastics recycling technologies. The plant could process 70,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year and is powered by renewable energy generated on site. In addition, the system is said to be designed to minimise the generation of fine plastic dust and its release into the environment. A large proportion of the plastic waste processed in Eicklingen near Celle (Lower Saxony) is to be converted into input material for the first large-scale catalysis plant that LyondellBasell is building at the Wesseling site.
 
Yvonne van der Laan, LyondellBasell Executive Vice President, Circular and Low Carbon Solutions, explains: "This is another important milestone in our strategy to convert recycled material into high-quality polymers. This state-of-the-art, advanced sorting facility will convert mixed plastic waste into feedstock for our integrated centre in Cologne. There, we will utilise state-of-the-art technologies to close the plastics loop and create sustainable solutions for society.“
 
Sources:

• Press release LyondellBasell (26.2.2024)
• Photo: © Source One Plastics