LyondellBasell Industries NV announced the successful start of commercial production of circular polymers at its plant in Wesseling, Germany. The plant uses thermal conversion to turn plastic waste into ethylene and propylene, which are then used to produce polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) in the company’s existing downstream units. Previously, LyondellBasell also successfully produced plastic materials from renewable-based feedstocks such as used cooking oil.
LyondellBasell said the project is part of its efforts to cut CO2 emissions, reduce plastic waste, and address climate change. The company will market the products made from recycled and renewable-based raw materials under its Circulen brand. The company said that the production processes of these sustainable plastic products are certified according to the ISCC+ standards.
LyondellBasell has vowed to cut iCO2 emissions in its global operations by 15% per ton of product produced by 2030 versus 2015 baselines. The company plans to increase production and sales of recycled or renewable-based polymers to 2 million tons/year by 2030. Last year, it commissioned a pilot plant in Italy to further develop its molecular recycling technology to convert plastic waste into raw materials for plastic production. This will also complement the company’s activities in the field of mechanical recycling.
