INEOS is now using an oil made from hard-to-recycle plastic waste to manufacture virgin-quality polymers. It has converted its cracker at Lavera in France, so that it can use the pyrolysis oil to make recycled ethylene and propylene, which can then be converted into virgin-quality, recycled polyethylene and polypropylene in INEOS’ polymer plants in Lavera and Sarralbe and Rosignano in Italy.
The quality of the recycled polyethylene and polypropylene is of such high quality that it can be used to package food and medicines. In the past only virgin raw materials produced plastic of that quality.
“This is a major step forward for circular plastics in Europe and INEOS driving innovation with purpose,” said Rob Ingram, CEO, INEOS Olefins & Polymers Europe.
“We’re creating high-quality recycled products from waste that would otherwise go to landfill or incineration. It marks the start of a new advanced recycling supply chain.”
The cracker in Lavera in the south of France is now capable of using both pyrolysis oil and renewable naphtha as raw materials.
Both materials are certified under the ISCC PLUS scheme and help customers to meet the EU’s 2030 targets for recycled content in plastic packaging.
Pyrolysis Oil
A recycled oil made by heating hard-to-recycle waste without oxygen. INEOS uses it to produce virgin-quality polymers— good enough for food and medical packaging