LyondellBasell, one of the world’s largest producers of polymers and a leader in polyolefin technologies, announced on February 20, 2024, that it has acquired mechanical recycling assets and properties containing rigid plastics recycling processing lines from PreZero, a global recycling leader and waste management service provider. The transaction includes leasing the processing facility in Jurupa Valley, Calif., which has a production capacity of approximately 50 million pounds per year for recycled materials.
LyondellBasell plans to operate its newly-acquired mechanical recycling plant in California to manufacture post-consumer recycled resins using plastic waste feedstock. The company will offer these recycled polymers under its CirculenRecover brand, part of the company’s Circulen portfolio of products that enable the circular economy. LyondellBasell expects to commence operations at its new facility in 2025.
“This acquisition further strengthens our U.S. presence and will deliver value for our customers and plastic recycling rates in the West Coast,” said Yvonne van der Laan, LyondellBasell executive vice president, Circular and Low Carbon Solutions. “We will build upon our existing experience in plastic recycling in Europe and deliver a state-of-the-art, mechanical recycling facility to meet growing demand for recycled products in the U.S.”
The transaction supports the company’s efforts to build a circular economy for plastic, help end plastic waste in the environment and meet customers’ growing demand for sustainable products. Together with the previously announced equity stake in the Cyclyx joint venture and investment in the Cyclyx Circularity Center in Houston, this latest California-based transaction will further enhance the competitiveness of LyondellBasell in the U.S. recycled products market.
LyondellBasell is helping to advance circularity and sustainability of plastics through three complementary pathways: mechanical recycling, advanced recycling, and use of renewable-based feedstocks. These routes provide different value propositions to its customers by reusing and recycling plastic waste and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Polymers made using these technologies are marketed under the Circulen brand.
Mechanical recycling is a process that transforms post-consumer plastic waste into high-quality polymers that can be used to make new products. Mechanical recycling preserves the original properties of the plastic and requires less energy than producing virgin polymers. LyondellBasell and SUEZ are joint venture partners in an industry-leading mechanical recycling facility called Quality Circular Polymers (QCP) in the Netherlands, which has a production capacity of 110 million pounds per year for recycled materials.
Advanced recycling is a process that returns plastic waste to its molecular form for use as feedstock for new plastic materials. Advanced recycling can process a wider range of plastic waste types and produce polymers that can be used in applications with more stringent regulatory standards, such as food packaging and medical supplies. LyondellBasell is developing its proprietary MoReTec technology, which aims to reduce energy consumption, emissions and costs compared to traditional advanced recycling processes.
Renewable-based feedstocks are materials derived from biomass, such as vegetable oils, that can be used to produce polymers with the same properties and performance as those made from fossil-based feedstocks. Renewable-based feedstocks can reduce the carbon footprint of polymers by up to 70% compared to conventional ones. LyondellBasell is the first company in the world to produce polymers from renewable-based feedstocks at commercial scale, using its Neste collaboration in Europe and its Bio-TCat technology in the U.S.
| Circularity Pathway | Main Features | Main Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Recycling | – Transforms post-consumer plastic waste into high-quality polymers | – Preserves the original properties of the plastic |
| Advanced Recycling | – Returns plastic waste to its molecular form for use as feedstock for new plastic materials | – Can process a wider range of plastic waste types |
| Renewable-based Feedstocks | – Uses materials derived from biomass, such as vegetable oils, to produce polymers | – Produces polymers with the same properties and performance as those made from fossil-based feedstocks |
LyondellBasell is committed to ending plastic waste and building a circular economy for plastic. By expanding its recycling capacity globally, accelerating the development and implementation of scalable recycling technologies, optimizing the value chain for circularity, investing along its value chain to become a full-solution provider, growing its Circulen portfolio of recycled and renewable-based products, catalyzing investments from venture funds’ partners, and supporting effective policies and infrastructure development, the company is enabling a circular and low-carbon economy for everyday sustainable living.
