ExxonMobil and Agilyx have set up a new joint venture called Cyclyx International that will focus on recovering and sorting plastic waste. Cyclyx International will also develop processes to prepare waste plastics for recycling. Exxon will own 25% of Cyclix through an $8-million investment, Agilyx said. In return, Exxon will be prioritized to get plastic waste for its recycling project. Both companies will work together on developing plastic recycling techniques and technologies.
Agilyx established Cyclix to link waste companies to recyclers. Cyclyx plans to attract other companies other than Exxon, including retailers, brand owners, waste-management firms, and petrochemical makers. Cyclyx aims at collecting and sorting 300,000 tons/year of plastic waste in 2025 and expanding the capacity to 3 million tons/year by 2030.
Preparing plastic waste is important in both mechanical and chemical recycling. Mechanical recycling requires plastic waste to be cleaned, sorted and remelted because contamination from different types of plastic can compromise the quality of the recycled resins. Chemical recycling is able to process materials that are too dirty or degraded for mechanical processes. However, it still needs sorting because some chemicals could react during the recycling process and result in harmful byproducts.
