Circular Economy Ineos Olefins & Polymers Europe Unveils Advanced Recycled Plastic Production

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INEOS Olefins & Polymers

Glatt Ingenieurtechnik GmbH

EDL Anlagenbau Gesellschaft mbH

Pörner Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH

Ineos Olefins & Polymers Europe has launched a new advanced recycled plastic production process at its Lavera site in Southern France. Its cracker has received the first deliveries of pyrolysis oil made from recycled plastic waste that will be used to develop virgin-quality polymers.

London/UK – Ineos Olefins & Polymers in Lavera, Southern France, has received the first deliveries of an innovative feedstock made from recycling plastic waste. This product, called pyrolysis oil, will be used to manufacture recycled polymers, helping its customers meet the EU requirements for food contact, medical and sensitive plastic packaging to have a minimum of 10 % recycled content by 2030. These new grades will help satisfy stringent EU regulatory requirements for other demanding applications such as caps and closures, milk bottles, and water pipes.

Part of the Lavera cracker had to be adapted to enable production of these innovative materials from renewable naphtha made from sources such as biomass, organic waste, or recycled materials, alongside traditional feedstocks.

The pyrolysis oil is made in Europe from post-consumer plastic packaging waste that cannot be processed by mechanical recycling. This process of making pyrolysis oil is called advanced recycling. The pyrolysis oil will be used in the cracker to make recycled ethylene and propylene for conversion into virgin-quality, recycled polyethylene and polypropylene in the Ineos polymer plants located in Lavera and Sarralbe (FR), and Rosignano (IT).

The renewable nature of these products is independently certified under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification scheme (ISCC Plus), which validates that any renewable feedstocks have been tracked through the production process using mass balance principles, and that all renewable and recycled claims are accurate.

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has set out ambitious targets for recycling packaging waste for 2030 and 2040. Advanced recycling technologies play a critical role in meeting the growing demand for the safe use of recycled materials, needed to achieve minimum levels of recycled content in plastic packaging. Advanced Recycling enables the production of end products that can be recycled again and again, bringing true circularity to consumer products. This technology ensures plastic does not end up in landfill or incineration, and reduces the use of fossil based raw materials.

Located 30 miles west of Marseille, the Lavera site is one of the largest petrochemicals sites in Europe. The cracker and polymer plants have been wholly owned by Ineos since April 2024.

Rob Ingram, CEO of Ineos Olefins & Polymers Europe, said: “At Ineos, we recognize that delivering a circular economy requires both ambition and action. While mechanical recycling remains essential, advanced recycling plays a critical role in expanding the potential for plastics recycling and closing the loop - particularly for high-performance applications. We are making real and tangible progress. By converting our cracker in Lavera and securing access to pyrolysis oil, we are building the capability needed to produce virgin-quality polymers from recycled feedstocks. These materials will help our customers meet the EU’s stringent regulatory targets and sustainability goals.

“We are committed to accelerating circularity by working with partners and leveraging our full portfolio of circular solutions, including our Recycl-In hybrid polymers and our pilot line for fully recyclable MDO films. This is Ineos driving innovation with purpose.”

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