Decarbonisation Technology - February 2023

Economical viable route for difficult to recycle plastics Convert regionally, near waste collection to a transportable feedstock Process the widest variety of plastic waste Optimisation between waste aggregation, sorting , and conversion Produce a consistent, contamin a nt - free , higher - quality, intermittent plastics feedstock

Recycled polymer feedstock

Melting

Shredding

Otake & transport

Up C ycle process

Upgrading & polmerisation

Creating high-value polymer oil from waste plastics

Sorting

Consumer recycling

Post- consumer resin

Baling

Plastic products

Collection

Figure 3 Honeywell’s UpCycle process technology expands the types of plastics that can be recycled to include waste plastic that would otherwise go unrecycled

will mandate more ambitious targets on the minimum amount of recycled content in plastic packaging. Countries that were meeting the previous targets will now have to do more to remain compliant. Moreover, local governments and municipalities play a critical role in setting standards in partnership with waste management companies. Collaboration between plastic producers and recyclers, technology providers, waste management companies, and governments (national and local) is critical. Governments can further incentivise recycling via mandated minimum content of recycled material in products and components and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by introducing landfill taxes. It is hoped that developments like Honeywell’s UpCycle process technology will serve to improve and increase the viability of plastics recycling and ‘close the loop’ on the problem of currently unrecyclable plastics. With the backing of regulatory and government bodies and with growing consumer understanding, this type of technology may pave the way for all plastic packaging to contain 30% recycled plastics by 2030 (American Chemistry Council, 2021).

mixed plastic waste into RPF, which would otherwise end up in landfill or incineration. TotalEnergies will use the RPF to produce high- quality polymers suitable for a wide range of applications, including food-grade applications, such as flexible and rigid food packaging containers. The proposed JV between Honeywell and Sacyr combines the hydrocarbon process technology and production expertise of Honeywell with Sacyr’s activities in engineering and construction, as well as waste management services. Local governments and municipalities Waste management companies understand mechanical recycling but are not proficient in chemical recycling. Yet, the requirements of the municipalities are changing, which, in turn, is stimulating interest in advanced plastic recycling technologies from waste management companies. Chemical recycling offers a new solution, important in renewing or winning tenders for waste management services with the municipalities. These service agreements can be for up to 10 years. As such, the tenders will need to include an assurance of compliance with recycling targets and new rules on how this is calculated that are likely to emerge over the duration of the agreement. In Europe, the latest review of the Waste Framework Directive has set higher targets for the rate of recycling. Similarly, the latest revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive

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Marc Yagoub