Petrochemical manufacturers are working on novel “molecular” recycling solutions to give new life to plastic products, including many single-use plastics, so they can safely provide value over and over again.
Certain plastics sorted, shredded and melted down to their polymer level in traditional mechanical recycling systems. Before polymer chain degrades and the recycled plastic loses strength, this process can be repeated only a limited number of times.
Molecular recycling (chemical recycling) is being developed by petrochemical manufacturers in recent years, enabling breaking a wider variety of plastics all the way down into their smaller monomers. Plastics can go through this process many times.
A wider range of possibilities for re-use offered by breaking used plastics to their fundamental monomer units. For a more sustainable future, the US petrochemical industry is driving molecular recycling advancements. Molecular recycling technology is being developed by some petrochemical makers operating in the US. A new chemical recycling plant is also being built by INEOS and Plastic Energy, to come on stream at the end of 2023.
