Industry ‘needs to redouble efforts’ to grow chemical recycling – INEOS exec

VIENNA (ICIS)–Industry must adapt to see waste as a new feedstock and needs to ‘redouble’ its efforts, but policy certainty will be key for investment decisions, according to an industry executive.

Speaking at the 9th ICIS World Polyolefins Conference in Vienna, chief executive of INEOS Olefins and Polymers Europe Rob Ingram told delegates chemical recycling can “bridge the gap” left by mechanical recycling.

“There are limitations into the materials that are suitable for mechanical recycling, and the applications that can be served by products that have been through mechanical recycling processes. And that’s where chemical recycling steps in and fills the gap,” said Ingram.

“This will open up a whole raft of added value applications which are not accessible from mechanical recycling. So it’s absolutely complimentary. It builds upon mechanical recycling, it doesn’t replace mechanical recycling, but it’s an essential step to bridge that gap. We need to redouble our efforts as an industry to grow this activity.”

Ingram reiterated a point made by another speaker questioning why things have not progressed further as technology remains at a developmental phase and is yet to be widely deployed at an industrial scale.

“OMV, Ineos, I know many others across industry [are working in the area]. The challenge for us is to get that scale up. Who better to do that is the petrochemical industry. What we’ve done last 150 year is take developing technologies, make them bigger,” he added.

Ingram asserted that viewing waste plastic as a viable resource is essential, but securing the feedstock at the right place and time will be fundamental to the success of the business going forward.

Asked whether there was enough feedstock of required quality, Ingram said:

“The answer has to be yes. 35million tonnes of waste plastic generated, 65% goes to landfill or incineration – it leaves large pool of potential resource. The beauty of chemical recycling is that we should be able to use mixed plastic waste with different qualities, different sources, a far broader spectrum of potential input than we see on mechanicals recycling.

The 9th ICIS World Polyolefins Conference continues in Vienna to Thursday 30 March.

Thumbnail image shows bottles deposited at a counting centre in Utrecht, the Netherlands (image credit:  Hollandse Hoogte/Shutterstock)