Ineos Olefins and Polymers Europe is joining the pioneering polypropylene (PP) recycling project Nextloopp, supporting its delivery of food-grade recycled content. The chemicals company will orchestrate a pivotal two-year project that will inform the building of a demonstration plant in the UK to produce 10,000 metric tons of recycled polypropylene (rPP) annually.
The project aims to validate the food-grade rPP manufacturing process and its commercial viability to gain acceptance from the UK’s Food Standard Agency and European equivalent.
Nextloopp uses commercially-proven solutions to separate food-grade PP with marker technologies. The technologies include advanced decontamination stages, ensuring compliance with EU and US food-grade standards.
“Ineos’ commitment to reducing the world’s reliance on virgin plastics and closing the loop on such a prolific polymer as food-grade PP will help create a more circular economy, reduce CO2 emissions and create new materials for brand owners,” notes Edward Kosior, founder and CEO of Nextek and Nextloopp.
Kosior recently shone a light on the circular plastics economy and what needs to be done to enhance recycling rates in an Expert View article. Moreover, he explains how recycled plastics can be a weapon against climate change and how not all recycled plastics offer the same levels of carbon efficiency.
Tailoring food-grade rPP
Ineos will help tailor food-grade rPP to converters’ precise specifications by blending it with virgin PP to modify its mechanical and processing properties. This development will take place at its manufacturing base in Grangemouth, UK, with the support of extensive product and technical expertise from across its European operations.
The company will also introduce processing aids to help converters meet brand owners’ exact requirements.
“The absence of food-grade recycled PP means that all PP food packaging is currently made from virgin plastics. This is a large, global problem, and it is something that Ineos and its partners are determined to change,” comments Graham MacLennan, polymer business manager at Ineos Olefins and Polymers UK.
“PP is one of the most versatile plastics in the world – it is also missing from our recycling streams in food contact applications. In the UK alone, we use over 210,000 metric tons of PP in our food packaging every year. It is found in pots, tubs and trays.”
“However, the absence of food-grade rPP means all PP food packaging is currently made from virgin plastics. This [problem] isn’t unique to the UK but a large global issue that Ineos and its partners are determined to change.”
Recycling advancements
In other plastic recycling news, APK has successfully proven it can mass-produce decolorized post-consumer recyclate from mixed waste.
Meanwhile, researchers at Aarhus University, Denmark, have developed a camera machine capable of distinguishing between 12 different types of plastic, making it possible to sort and recycle materials according to their chemical components.
By Joshua Poole
Source: packaginginsights.com
Researchers have developed a new chemical process capable of vaporizing plastics and converting them into hydrocarbon building blocks for new materials. This catalytic process breaks down two of the most dominant types of post-consumer plastic waste — PE and PP — into monomers, offering a potential solution to packaging waste management.
On 2 September 2024 it has been agreed that Heikki Malinen will assume the role of Neste’s President and CEO on 15 October 2024. He succeeds Matti Lehmus, who will continue as the President and CEO of Neste until 14 October 2024 and then act as an advisor to the company and its management until mid-November 2024 to ensure a smooth transition.
Eni SpA (Rome) and Azerbaijan’s state energy company Socar (Baku) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for potential cooperation in the biofuels production chain, including the possible conversion of conventional crude oil refineries into biorefineries. A schedule for potential projects was not given.