Why Now
The Plastic Waste Crisis
Plastic waste is one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time. Every year, millions of tons of plastic are produced, but over 90% is never recycled. Instead, it ends up in landfills, incinerators, or polluting our seas, oceans, threatening ecosystems, and human health.
Plastic Recycling: What the Market Actually Means Today
When plastic is described as "recycled", in most cases this refers to mechanical recycling.
Mechanical recycling is a physical process where plastic waste is:
It is important to note that the material itself does not become new again. It remains the same polymer, reused one or several times.
Mechanical recycling is a physical process where plastic waste is:
- sorted,
- washed,
- shredded,
- melted,
It is important to note that the material itself does not become new again. It remains the same polymer, reused one or several times.
Mechanically Recycled Plastic
Structural Limitations of Mechanical Recycling
Mechanical recycling requires exceptionally clean and uniform feedstock:
As a result, a significant share of global plastic waste cannot be mechanically recycled at all — even where collection systems and recycling facilities exist.
- a single polymer type,
- minimal contamination,
- no complex or multilayer structures.
As a result, a significant share of global plastic waste cannot be mechanically recycled at all — even where collection systems and recycling facilities exist.
Material Degradation and Economic Limits
Each mechanical recycling cycle degrades the material:
Plastic cannot be recycled mechanically an unlimited number of times. After several cycles, it loses economic value and ultimately becomes waste again.
This is not an operational inefficiency — it is a fundamental limitation of the technology itself.
- mechanical strength decreases,
- performance stability is reduced,
- the range of possible applications narrows.
Plastic cannot be recycled mechanically an unlimited number of times. After several cycles, it loses economic value and ultimately becomes waste again.
This is not an operational inefficiency — it is a fundamental limitation of the technology itself.
Limited End Markets
Due to material degradation, mechanically recycled plastics:
- are rarely suitable for food-contact applications,
- cannot be used in high-performance technical products,
- cannot replace virgin feedstock in petrochemical production.
Why This Became Critical Now
Several structural trends have converged:
- rapid growth in plastic waste volumes,
- tightening environmental regulation,
- corporate commitments to sustainability and ESG targets.
The Role of Chemical Recycling
Chemical recycling addresses the limitations that mechanical recycling cannot overcome:
- it processes mixed and contaminated plastic waste,
- it breaks polymers down to their basic chemical components,
- it produces feedstock comparable to virgin petrochemical raw materials.
SUMMARY
Mechanical recycling remains important, but it is structurally constrained.
It cannot process the majority of plastic waste, cannot scale to required volumes, and does not produce feedstock demanded by the petrochemical industry.
It cannot process the majority of plastic waste, cannot scale to required volumes, and does not produce feedstock demanded by the petrochemical industry.
The Urgent Need for Innovation
We can’t solve today’s waste crisis with yesterday’s solutions. The world needs a scalable, cost-effective, and sustainable way to transform plastic waste into valuable resources—and that’s exactly what we’re building.
💡 It’s time to rethink plastic waste. Let’s turn the problem into an opportunity. 🚀
💡 It’s time to rethink plastic waste. Let’s turn the problem into an opportunity. 🚀
Chemical Recycling of Plastics
Chemical recycling is an industrial process in which plastic waste is converted not into secondary plastic products, but back into basic chemical hydrocarbons.
Unlike mechanical recycling, the material is returned to the level of primary raw materials.
This technology enables the processing of waste streams that are currently largely unrecyclable: mixed, contaminated, and multilayer plastics. These streams represent a substantial share of total plastic waste and have historically been landfilled or incinerated.
Unlike mechanical recycling, the material is returned to the level of primary raw materials.
This technology enables the processing of waste streams that are currently largely unrecyclable: mixed, contaminated, and multilayer plastics. These streams represent a substantial share of total plastic waste and have historically been landfilled or incinerated.
Product Output and Market Integration
The output of chemical recycling is a liquid hydrocarbon product. From an industrial perspective, this product is equivalent to crude oil fractions or refinery feedstock.
The key difference lies in origin:
The key difference lies in origin:
- conventional oil is fossil-based,
- this product is non-fossil, derived from plastic waste.
Premium Pricing and Demand Drivers
This product benefits from stable market demand and, in certain markets, is sold at a premium to fossil-based feedstock. The premium is not driven by the technology itself, but by the origin of the product:
This positions chemical recycling not as an environmental initiative, but as a scalable industrial business integrated into the global petrochemical economy.
- reduced carbon footprint,
- compliance with ESG and sustainability targets,
- improved traceability and supply-chain sustainability.
This positions chemical recycling not as an environmental initiative, but as a scalable industrial business integrated into the global petrochemical economy.
Have questions? Want to collaborate? Let’s connect and shape the future of sustainable plastic recycling together! ♻️ 🌍