Advanced Plastic Waste Recycling Technologies And Global Capacity Distribution

Advanced recycling technologies are evolving at a rapid pace, with new players emerging in the market, ranging from start-ups to large corporations - new plants are being built, new capacities are being realised and new partnerships are being established. As a result of these developments, keeping track of all the information has become exceptionally difficult. in July 2024, nova-Institute published a report titled 'Advanced Plastic Waste Recycling Technologies and Global Capacity Distribution', which aims to sort out all the information available on this industry and provide a structured, in-depth overview and insights. The report focuses on a detailed analysis of existing advanced recycling technologies and their providers, while new technologies and updated information have been added. In addition, for the first time, a comprehensive assessment of global input and output capacity is provided, covering more than 340 planned, installed and operating plants, as well as their product-specific volumes.

-1- Advanced recycling technologies: an overview

Advanced recycling is not limited to chemical recycling, but encompasses a diverse range of processes designed to convert waste into high-quality recycled materials and chemicals. Key technologies for advanced recycling include:

Gasification: converting waste to syngas (a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide) and carbon dioxide through partial oxidation at high temperatures.

Carbon Capture and Utilisation Incineration (CCU): burning waste to generate energy while capturing and utilising the resulting CO2 for industrial applications.

Pyrolysis: A thermochemical process that breaks down waste at high temperatures in the absence of oxygen, converting it into liquid fuels, waxes and other valuable chemicals.

Thermal Cracking: The use of heat and pressure to break down complex polymers into simpler hydrocarbons.

Solvent solubilisation: the use of solvents to break down plastics into monomers and other chemical feedstocks.

Dissolution: A physical recycling process in which plastics are dissolved by solvents and subsequently recycled without destroying their chemical structure.

Enzymatic degradation: the use of enzymes to degrade plastics into their constituent monomers.

Extrusion: This physical recycling process involves melting and remoulding plastics into new products. It is often used as a preparatory step to other advanced recycling methods, but can also be used on its own.

-2 - Waste streams and product outputs

Advanced recycling technologies can effectively deal with many different waste streams, which include:

Various plastics: such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), commonly found in plastic packaging and other mixed wastes.

Scrap rubber: mainly from tyres, etc., which can be converted into fuel and other valuable secondary chemicals such as carbon black.

Synthetic fibres or mixtures of synthetic and natural/man-made fibres: derived from clothing and other textile products, these materials can be separated from each other, with synthetic fibres broken down into monomers and other chemicals.

By breaking down these materials into their chemical components, Advanced Recycling is able to produce a range of high value products such as:

High purity and high performance feedstocks for the manufacture of new plastic products.

Key feedstocks for the petrochemical industry.

Solvents, lubricants and other chemicals used in a variety of industrial applications.

Pyrolysis oils and syngas can be used as alternative fuels to facilitate energy recovery.

-3- Industries and Sectors Benefiting from Advanced Recycling

Advanced Recycling's products support a number of industries and sectors that offer sustainable alternatives to traditional manufacturing processes. These include energy production using pyrolysis oil and syngas as alternative fuels, the petrochemical industry relying on recovered naphtha and secondary valuable chemicals (SVCs), and plastics manufacturing with high purity polymers and monomers. In addition, Advanced Recycling supports chemical synthesis to produce chemical feedstocks through solvent recovery, and the field of enzymatic hydrolysis, which focuses on waste management, offers solutions for handling complex waste streams such as heterogeneous and contaminated wastes, multi-layer packaging and tyre rubber.

Integrating advanced recycling into these industries reduces reliance on virgin fossil resources, improves resource efficiency and contributes to sustainable development goals. In addition, the logistics and transport sectors benefit significantly from the adoption of alternative fuels derived from pyrolysis oil and syngas, thereby reducing the use of fossil fuels and the environmental impact throughout the supply chain. Importantly, advanced recycling plays a key role in renewable carbon strategies, driving a circular economic model of carbon management by keeping fossil and biobased carbon in the loop and minimising the extraction of new resources.

-4 - Current capacity and global situation

The growth of advanced recycling technologies is enormous. According to nova-Institute, more than 340 advanced recycling plants are planned, installed or operating worldwide, providing a total input capacity of 1,477 kilotonnes per year. Europe leads the global market with more than 60 operating plants, accounting for nearly a quarter of global input capacity. This places Europe at the forefront of the advanced recycling industry, reflecting its strong commitment to sustainable waste management and circular economy principles.

// Growth trends and future forecasts

The advanced recycling market is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. The report predicts that input capacity in Europe will more than triple by 2027, while global capacity will double. This growth is driven by increased investment, technological advancements and a supportive policy framework. Stringent EU recycling quotas and policy requirements are key factors in accelerating this expansion. For example, the European Commission has set ambitious recycling targets to ensure that 55 per cent of plastic packaging waste is recycled by 2030. These targets require the development and expansion of advanced recycling technologies to complement mechanical recycling and address more complex waste streams.

// The role of advanced recycling in the circular economy

Advanced recycling plays a key role in realising the circular economy by providing sustainable waste management solutions. It addresses the shortcomings of mechanical recycling, such as the inability to deal with contaminated or degraded materials and limited recycling cycles before material properties deteriorate. By converting waste into high-quality raw materials, advanced recycling reduces reliance on virgin fossil resources and diverts waste from landfills and incinerators.

// Challenges and Opportunities

Despite its enormous potential, cash recycling faces a number of challenges. These challenges include high operating costs, technological complexity, and the need for extensive infrastructure development. Additionally, regulatory uncertainty and lack of standardised definitions and criteria for advanced recycling processes may hinder market growth. However, these challenges also provide opportunities for innovation and collaboration among stakeholders, including technology providers, waste management companies, policymakers and researchers.

-5 - Future Outlook

The future of advanced recycling looks bright, with continued advancements and increasing adoption expected to drive significant growth. As the market expands, it will be critical to address existing challenges through technological innovation, supportive policies and collaborative efforts.