Start-up of LyondellBasell’s MoReTec plant underlines ambitious plastic waste targets
Conversion: turning it into raw materials, LyondellBasell
New pilot facility in Italy for molecular recycling by LyondellBasell
LyondellBasell started up its MoReTec molecular recycling facility at its Ferrara site in Italy in September 2020. LyondellBasell’s proprietary MoReTec molecular recycling technology aims to return post-consumer plastic waste to its molecular form for use as a feedstock for new plastic materials that offer expanded applications, including medical and food packaging.
The development of MoReTec is part of the company’s strategy to drive one of the most ambitious goals of the industry: to produce and market two million metric tonnes of recycled and renewable-based polymers annually by 2030.
Work on the MoReTec technology started at the Houston Technology Center (HTC) in the United States, where several types of catalyst potentially suitable for molecular recycling technology were screened. Development of this advanced plastics recycling technology continued in a pilot in Germany, combining LyondellBasell’s catalyst systems at the R&D centre in Frankfurt and the reactor at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The Ferrara pilot plant, which is capable of processing between 5 and 10 kilogrammes of household plastic waste per hour, is building on that research and testing the most promising catalysts.
Today, the company’s research and development teams in Germany, Italy and United States are actively working to explore potential commercial-scale applications. By advancing its MoReTec technology, LyondellBasell can return larger volumes of plastic waste back into the value chain and produce new materials for high-quality applications, retaining their value for as long as possible.
LyondellBasell has been on a multi-year journey to advance the circular economy, making strides in mechanical and molecular recycling (also called chemical or advanced recycling), as well as producing renewable-based products. LyondellBasell’s goals underscore what they see possible in the next decade, and their sustainability ambitions require the company to adapt its business models. When viewed through the lens of technology and innovation, this track record demonstrates LyondellBasell’s capacity to advance new collaborations and partnerships for the benefit of society.
Read more about MoReTec here.
Circulen Products to Advance Circular Solutions
LyondellBasell’s Circulen product portfolio supports the reduction of plastic waste through the use of recycled content, and a lower carbon footprint through the use of renewable-based content as compared to feedstock from fossil-based sources. As part of this portfolio, CirculenRevive are polymers made using an advanced (molecular) recycling process to convert plastic waste into feedstock to produce new polymers, which have a wide range of uses, including those which must meet strict regulatory requirements such as food packaging and healthcare items.
The portfolio is currently available in Europe and will soon be introduced in North America and China.
For more information on Circulen, click here.
Moving forward
In September 2024, LyondellBasell laid the foundation for its first industrial-scale advanced recycling plant at its Wesseling, Germany site. This marks the beginning of the construction of the company’s first catalytic advanced recycling plant at the Wesseling site, with a targeted startup date set for 2026. The project is part of LyondellBasell’s strategy to build a profitable Circular and Low Carbon Solutions business. Utilizing MoReTec technology, this facility will be the first commercial-scale, single-train advanced recycling plant. It is designed to demonstrate the potential for further scalability by converting pre-treated, mixed waste plastics into raw materials, which will be used to produce new plastic polymers.