A boost in global awareness of plastic recycling is having a positive influence on the plastic industry, and it is expected to continue expanding in the coming years. The waste recycling industry is projected to reach a valuation of $81.3 billion by 2028.
While this is the case, most plastic packaging worldwide ends up in landfills, and around 85% of it is not recycled. The rest is either burned or thrown away in landfills due to complexity and contamination.
In this blog, we will discuss the hidden challenges of the recycling process and explore the innovative recycling solutions that may help to solve these issues.
Why Is Plastic Recycling a Challenge?
One of the industry’s biggest challenges is the recycling of different types of plastics. Due to variations in the manufacturing process, several types of plastics exist. These different types of plastics have different melting points, and as a result, it is hard to recycle them together. In order to be recycled, they must be separated, but this process is time-consuming and costly.
Most plastic recycling, as we know it today, is a type known as mechanical recycling, where plastic waste is collected, cleaned, sorted, shredded, and melted down. The last step of this recycling process includes forming the plastics into pellets to be sold to producers of recycled products.
However, the mechanical recycling process also has disadvantages. When different types of plastics are recycled together, small amounts of the wrong plastic type can degrade the quality of the whole batch. Sorting plastics may sound promising, but it is far from simple in practice.
Some countries, such as Sweden and Germany, use advanced technology in large-scale recycling facilities to effectively sort plastics. These facilities focus on commonly used plastic types, like polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), as well as polypropylene. However, even with diligent sorting, recycled plastic is almost always of lower quality than virgin plastic.
SynPet’s chemical recycling process, on the other hand, emerges as a promising solution for diverse challenges faced by the recycling industry. It can process a diverse range of plastic materials, even with varying levels of contamination. SynPet’s innovative technology is also capable of recycling plastic waste into naphtha, and this makes it remarkably beneficial for producers and consumers.
Pioneering Recycling Industry with an Innovative Approach
To address challenges faced by the recycling industry, SynPet and the Kolmar Group are investing 100 million euros to build an extensive recycling facility in the Port of Antwerp, Belgium.
Belgium’s comprehensive industrial infrastructure and expertise was a major deciding factor for the facility’s location. Located at the heart of the European oil and chemical hub, the port of Antwerp provides the fastest way into Europe.
Located in the center of the recycling industry, the Port of Antwerp is a key hub with industrial clusters, waste-processing companies, and logistics sites. This strategic location makes it a great place for adopting a circular approach.
SynPet plans to process 180,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually by 2025 using TCP™ technology, aiming to make significant progress in this dynamic location. SynPet’s revolutionary solution is both environmentally friendly and sustainable, as it reduces the quantity of waste being disposed of in landfills, safeguards fossil fuel resources from depletion, and minimizes pollution.
SynPet’s Chemical Recycling Approach
SynPet uses a unique technology called TCP™, Thermal Conversion Process, which combines techniques to recycle all types of waste. The TCP™ technology utilizes water instead of needing clean, separated, or dried waste. It recycles all waste without pretreatment, including those that are considered non-recyclable, making recycling more cost-effective.
Here are three advantages that SynPet offers with chemical recycling:
- High-Quality Materials: While traditional recycling downgrades materials, chemical recycling breaks down polymers into molecular components and creates high-quality materials.
- Recycling Various Plastic Types: Chemical recycling effectively handles different types of plastic waste, even if its material is mixed or contaminated.
- Environmental Impact: Traditional waste management practices contribute to pollution and resource depletion, while chemical recycling offers a sustainable solution by regenerating materials from existing waste.
Big Step Towards Environment & Economy
The establishment of a chemical cluster in the Port of Antwerp is a significant milestone, and the partnership between SynPet and Kolmar Group is a step towards a more sustainable future.
SynPet’s solution offers groundbreaking impacts on both the environment and the circular economy. TCP™ technology uses waste plastic as a raw material to produce renewable products. This way, it helps reduce the amount of plastic waste that is disposed of in landfills or oceans while also assisting companies in reducing their carbon footprint.
In addition to its environmental benefits, SynPet’s innovative solution also offers economic advantages. By using waste plastic as raw material, companies can lower production costs and increase profitability. This approach also contributes to local economies by creating new job opportunities in the recycling industry.
SynPet places a strong emphasis on aligning with the principles of the circular economy, which promotes the reuse and recycling of materials. The circular economy aims to create a closed-loop system that minimizes waste and maximizes the efficient use of resources.
Looking Forward: The Role of Innovation in Plastic Recycling
As we face the escalating global plastic pollution crisis, continuous innovation plays a crucial role in plastic recycling. We must explore and implement innovative solutions to address the challenges at hand.
Technologies such as chemical recycling and the establishment of circular economies offer promising pathways toward a more sustainable future. SynPet is at the forefront of this movement, pioneering solutions that transform waste plastic into valuable resources.
By staying informed and engaged with the latest developments in plastic recycling, we can actively contribute to a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable world.
Embrace innovation with SynPet’s cutting-edge TCP technology for plastic recycling – join us in minimizing waste and maximizing resource efficiency.
