First published in ERTC, 2024
The rising demand for plastics presents two main challenges: the environmental impact of production and waste, and the reliance on fossil resources. Enhancing plastic waste management through reducing, reusing, and recycling is crucial. Recycling plastics reduces the need for fossil resources and maximizes waste utilization. Most recycled plastics come from mechanical recycling, with limitations such as requiring homogeneous waste and not removing additives, leading to material degradation.
Axens and IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) have been developing advanced recycling processes to eliminate additives and impurities, achieving quality comparable to virgin materials. Several of these technologies are now available and leveraged in the planning and development of chemical recycling projects.
