LyondellBasell's Innovative Thermal Process Converts Scrap Plastic

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): LyondellBasell- the Houston-headquartered plastics, chemicals and refining company announced producing virgin-quality polymers by making use of scrap plastic. The company uses thermal conversion technique to process scrap plastic into raw materials, from which the polymers are derived.

According to company press release, the LyondellBasell production facilities convert raw materials into ethylene and propylene. These are then processed into polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) in the downstream units for plastics production. The use of raw materials derived from plastic scrap delivers significant reduction of carbon dioxide over the entire product lifecycle.

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The company’s International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS standard certified facilities will make new products from recycled and renewable raw materials. The products made from recycled and renewable raw materials will be marketed by LyondellBasell under the Circulen brand name.

Meantime, LyondellBasell has already commissioned a pilot plant in Italy, with the aim to further develop its molecular recycling technology, which coverts plastic scrap into raw materials, which in turn are used in the production of new plastics.