Chemical plant in Limburg converts useless plastic into oil and back into plastic.
A new factory processes chip bags or salad containers into oil, which is then used to make new plastic. And there are more plans for chemical recycling in the Netherlands.
This article was originally written by Hans Nauta for the Trouw
It's a ray of hope for the Dutch recycling industry: a new factory in Limburg recently began processing useless plastic waste into new raw materials. The gigantic facility at the Chemelot chemical park turns plastic that can no longer be recycled into oil. This oil is then used – in a completely circular manner – to make new plastic.
The waste comes from households in the region. It includes flexible packaging such as chip or salad bags, yogurt pots, or sachets. The technology is minimally affected by food waste.
The shiny tube structure was built by the British company Plastic Energy and the Saudi Arabian petrochemical company Sabic. Sabic invested 100 million euros. The Netherlands provided a €12 million subsidy because the government believes it's important to reuse waste.
Heating the waste without oxygen creates a specific type of oil called pyrolysis oil. For Sabic's plastics factory, this is a good substitute for naphtha, the petrochemical from oil refineries used to make a lot of plastic. This allows for the processing of 20,000 tons of plastic waste annually.
This significantly saves natural gas.
Sabic's recycling project isn't the only circular development in waste processing, where molecules are reused as building blocks. Shell and the chemical company Dow are also working on this in the Netherlands.
Not far from Sabic's factory, energy company RWE is working on the Furec project at Chemelot. A facility is being developed for this purpose that primarily processes household waste – from the recycling bin.
Plastic, a slice of pizza, an old T-shirt: anything is acceptable, says a spokesperson. First, the pellets are made into pellets that resemble rabbit food. These are then fed into the gasification plant. The high temperatures cause the molecules to separate.
The carbon and hydrogen released in this way are to be used at Chemelot's chemical plants. This could save 280 million cubic meters of natural gas annually, as well as 400,000 tons of CO2 emissions.
The application for the environmental permit has been delayed due to nitrogen problems. However, the environmental permit was granted last week by the province of Limburg. RWE will likely make a final decision next year. This involves major investments, while Dutch industry is struggling.
Is this good for the environment?
Compared to the current situation, in which new plastic is made from oil and residual waste is often incinerated, Furec is better for the environment, says an RWE spokesperson. Conserving raw materials is also important for Dutch and European independence.
However, environmental organizations are critical of chemical recycling, as it could provide an excuse for the petrochemical industry to continue producing plastic indefinitely. Far more money goes to virgin plastic factories than to the recycling industry.
“The amount of waste these petrochemical companies process is infinitesimal compared to their virgin plastic production”
Searious Business is a Dutch organization that helps prevent plastic pollution.
“Just a drop in the bucketWhatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. Producers can claim to be contributing to a solution, while investing far more in virgin plastic capacity. Shell’s factory in the Netherlands processes only 50,000 tons per year, and Sabic’s 20,000 tons. Those are just drops in the bucket.”
“Chemical recycling is expensive and energy-intensive. It can be a last resort for plastic that is difficult to recycle. But it’s much better to use less plastic and encourage reuse. More money should also be allocated to mechanical recycling.”
She’s referring to the traditional recycling method: washing, sorting, grinding, and processing.
The European plastic recycling industry is on the verge of collapse, warns the European trade association Plastic Recyclers Europe. Bankruptcies in the Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom are contributing most to this downward trend.
The industry will not grow this year, putting pressure on the transition to a circular economy. This is due to competition from both virgin and recycled plastic from other continents.