Industry players have come up with innovative new technologies such as chemical recycling to ensure that even hard-to-recycle plastics can be recycled by converting it into raw materials in order to create new virgin plastic products. Not only this, entire value chains can now be sustainably transformed by utilizing not only recycled feedstocks but also renewable feedstocks for the production of plastics.

Dow has invested in Xycle, a Netherlands-based leader in chemical recycling technology. The move is in line with the company’s goal of accelerating a circular economy for plastics.

OMV has launched an innovative plant that can process up to 16,000 metric tons of hard-to-recycle mixed plastic waste annually. The company’s proprietary Reoil technology will be used for this purpose and is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 34 % compared to plastic waste incineration.

The defossilisation of basic chemicals holds considerable potential for the chemical sector’s sustainable transformation. A study by PwC Germany and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) demonstrates how to achieve this and outlines the investments required.

PROCESS Worldwide brings to you the ‘Top 10 plant engineering projects of March 2025’ from all over the world. Right from ABB and Charbone Hydrogen collaborating for green hydrogen production units to Aramco launching Saudi’s first CO2 direct air capture test unit, find out all the projects making headlines here.

Under a three-year contract, Wood will be responsible for operating and maintaining the Freepoint Eco-Systems plant in Ohio, USA. The mega facility will make use of the advanced pyrolysis recycling technology to convert 90,000 tons of end-of-life plastics into pyrolysis oil, through a depolymerization process.

Under an agreement signed between Bridgestone, BB&G and Eni, all the parties will come together to establish a closed-loop ecosystem which will aim at transforming end-of-life tyres into new tyres.

Michael Carus, Founder and Managing Director at Nova-Institute shares his views on replacing fossil-based naphtha with alternative naphtha in refineries and crackers. He also elaborates on the advantages and challenges of incorporating alternative naphtha in existing refineries and crackers.

Probably yes. Chemical recycling is a potential solution to recycle hard-to-recycle plastics, establish a circular economy and even reduce CO2 emissions. Although at a nascent stage, the technology shows great promise for the current plastics menace at hand.

The new report published by the Nova Institute highlights that it is crucial to replace fossil-based naphtha with alternative naphtha in refineries and crackers with an aim to defossilize the chemical industry.