PTQ Q1 2026 Issue

Catalytic pathways to circularity

Chemical recycling of waste plastics requires advanced catalysis to reduce energy intensity and technical complexity

Marc Nicolas and Jaap Bergwerff Ketjen Corporation

T he global plastics industry has reached a critical juncture. Since the 1950s, synthetic polymers have become indispensable across packaging, consumer goods, construction, and transportation. Yet, their durability and low cost have contributed to the environmental crisis. Estimates for global production of plastics in 2022 range from 400 to 460 million tons (Mt) per annum, with an expectation of growth to 884 Mt in 2050. 1 , ² Recent pub- lications 3 found that in the same year just under 38 Mt (9.5%) were produced from recycled plastic. Ninety-eight per cent of the remaining 362 Mt were produced from fossil fuels, predominantly coal and oil. Around 268 Mt of plastic are disposed of annually, of which 40% goes to landfill and 34% is incinerated. Despite the implementation of recycling targets and pol- icies in some jurisdictions, such as the EU, the recycling rate is globally stuck near 9-10%. This is due to several factors: too little of the right material is being captured and sorted cleanly; economics often favour virgin over recy- cled post-consumer resin; policy is incomplete or unevenly enforced; and the intrinsic design/chemistry of many plas- tic products defies high‑value mechanical reprocessing. Complementing concerns about the environmental impact of plastics include dependency on fossil feedstocks and their contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As early as the 1930s, biogenic alternatives, such as cello- phane and soy-based plastics, were developed. Around the 2010s, bio-PE and bio-PET became available on an industrial scale and currently account for around 1-2% of global plas- tics production. However, growth has been limited by cost, feedstock concerns, performance gaps, recycling infrastruc- ture, and the massive scale and low price of petroplastics. Chemical recycling, which breaks down plastics into their molecular building blocks, offers a pathway to true circularity. Unlike mechanical methods, chemical recycling

can handle mixed and contaminated streams, producing feedstocks suitable for new polymers, fuels, and chemicals. The polymers produced are safe to use in pharmaceutical and food-grade applications. Moreover, chemical recycling reduces the dependency on fossil feedstocks and can be implemented quickly by utilising assets at existing refin - ing and petrochemical installations. To be economically and environmentally viable, chemical recycling pathways require advanced catalysis to reduce energy intensity and technical complexity. Regulatory frameworks and market trends Chemical recycling is gaining attention as a way to process plastics that are unsuitable for mechanical recycling, but its market growth faces significant regulatory and operational hurdles: • The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and Single-Use Plastics Directive set ambitious recycled content targets (for example, 10% for food con- tact packaging by 2030, 30% for bottles). However, the regulatory environment remains complex. The EU is final - ising mass balance accounting standards, which are critical for recognising chemically recycled content and enabling producers to leverage existing assets. Without clear, har- monised rules, investment risks remain high, and imple- mentation costs may rise. • The US approach is fragmented, with 24 states reclassi- fying advanced recycling as manufacturing to lower bar- riers, but no federal mandate exists. State-level recycled content laws (for example, California’s AB 793) drive some demand, but the lack of national standards and ongoing environmental debates create uncertainty for long-term investment. • South Korea’s new mandates require 10% recycled PET in large-scale production from 2026, with plans to expand.

Hydrothermal liquefaction

Waste plastics oil hydroprocessing

Fluid catalytic cracking

Fuels

Waste plastics

Pyrolysis

Catalytic upgrading

Steam cracking

Monomers

Gasication

Catalytic aromatisation

Chemicals

Feedstock

Primary conversion

Upgrading

Valorisation

Products

Figure 1 Pathways for chemical recycling of waste plastics, illustrating the primary conversion, upgrading, and valorisation steps for a variety of pathways

PTQ Q1 2026