Advanced Recycling: A Detailed Check

As advanced recycling evolves rapidly, new companies and facilities are constantly emerging, partnerships are being established, and capacities are increasing. This fast-paced development makes it increasingly difficult to maintain an overview of the sector.

The report Mapping of Advanced Plastic Waste Recycling Technologies and Their Global Capacities by the Nova-Institute provides an in-depth analysis of the rapid advancements in advanced recycling. It identifies correspondingly key players in the field and outlines the current state of recycling technologies in Europe and globally.

You can also read: Interest Grows in Chemical Recycling

To address this, the updated report offers a comprehensive resource, highlighting available technologies and profiling over 130 companies involved. The 2023 update includes revised profiles, new entries, and a groundbreaking analysis of global input and output capacities. This evaluation covers more than 340 facilities—either planned, operational, or under construction—along with their specific product outputs. These insights provide a detailed perspective on the current landscape and underscore the growing importance of advanced recycling worldwide.

Complement to Mechanical Recycling

Discussions on improving recycling rates have brought advanced recycling technologies into focus. While mechanical recycling has long been a cornerstone of waste management, it has inherent limitations. Advanced recycling steps in to fill these gaps, offering innovative solutions that complement mechanical methods and enable the processing of diverse plastic waste streams. Together, these approaches are crucial for advancing the circular economy, converting various types of plastic waste into raw materials that can be reintroduced into the production cycle.

Technologies Overview

These technologies enable the transformation of plastic waste into new feedstocks, such as naphtha, syngas, and even raw CO₂, which can be used to create fresh polymers and chemicals. Courtesy of Nova Institute.

Advanced recycling encompasses a range of processes designed to break down plastic waste into valuable components. These include:

1. Dissolution – A physical process that separates and recovers polymers without altering their chemical structure.
2. Chemical Recycling – A set of processes that decompose polymers into their building blocks (monomers) through methods such as:
   • Enzymolysis – A biochemical process using enzymes.
   • Solvolysis – A chemical reaction with solvents.
   • Thermal Depolymerization – A process that uses heat and chemical reactions to break down polymers.

Thermochemical processes currently lead the sector in terms of capacity. These include:

• Pyrolysis – Breaking down plastics in the absence of oxygen to produce products like naphtha and oils.
• Gasification – Converting plastics into syngas (a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide).
• Combustion with Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) – Generating secondary valuable chemicals, CO₂, and energy for reuse.

These technologies enable the transformation of plastic waste into new feedstocks, such as naphtha, syngas, and even raw CO₂, which can be used to create fresh polymers and chemicals.

Advanced Recycling Industry Insights and Market Readiness

The nova-Institute’s report identifies 127 technologies that are currently available or soon to be commercialized. Particularly, these technologies address the limitations of mechanical recycling by targeting plastic waste streams of varying both quality and composition. The diversity in approaches—spanning physical, chemical, and thermochemical methods—ensures that advanced recycling can meet a wide range of recycling needs, consequently paving the way for broader adoption across industries.

A Growing Role in Sustainability

Advanced recycling is essential for achieving sustainability in the plastics industry. By expanding the range of waste materials that can be processed, it reduces reliance on virgin fossil resources as well as helps close the loop in the plastics value chain. Furthermore, the integration of these technologies with traditional recycling methods offers the potential for higher recycling rates, reduced waste, and a more sustainable approach to managing plastic materials.

The Scope

The updated Mapping of Advanced Plastic Waste Recycling Technologies and Their Global Capacities report provides unparalleled insights into this rapidly growing field. By analyzing over 340 facilities and profiling 127 advanced recycling technologies, it highlights the sector’s progress and potential. As the world seeks solutions to the challenges of plastic waste, advanced recycling stands out as a key driver of not only sustainability but innovation.

To read more: Mapping of Advanced Plastic Waste Recycling Technologies and their Global Capacities