Neste Oyj, Helsinki, Finland, a provider of renewable diesel, renewable jet fuel, and drop-in renewable chemical solutions, and Ravago, a distributor and recycler of polymers, are joining forces to develop chemical recycling of plastic waste with the aim to reach significant industrial scale. The companies have set a joint target to reach an annual capacity to process over 200,000 t of waste plastic.

Improving Resource-Efficiency

Through collaborating in chemical recycling, Neste and Ravago wish to accelerate circularity of materials and improve resource-efficiency in the petrochemical industry. The two companies also want to provide more sustainable alternatives to primary fossil feedstock. Chemical recycling of plastic waste will enable the petrochemical industry to meet its recycling targets and develop a more sustainable, climate-friendlier offering.

The target is to process annually more than one million tons of plastic waste from 2030 onwards (© Neste)

???Ravago???s geographical reach and expertise in plastics recycling together with Neste???s track record in upgrading challenging refinery feedstock provide an excellent foundation for demonstrating and scaling up chemical recycling with speed. Collaboration also brings Neste closer to having the necessary partnerships and infrastructure to meet our Plastics Pledge target. Our aim is to process annually more than one million tons of plastic waste from 2030 onwards. With this, we could contribute to increasing the annual recycling rate of post-consumer plastic waste by 25 to 30% from the current level in Europe,??? says Mercedes Alonso, Executive Vice President, Renewable Polymers and Chemicals at Neste.

???At Ravago, we carry the waste issue at heart. Our company has been mechanically recycling polymers for nearly 60 years, however chemical recycling should be part of a sustainable solution that our society requires today to address the growing need for valorising consumer waste. We are proud and energised to establish this partnership with Neste, who is the leading company in the field of renewables, as it provides a solid foundation to enable the different nascent technologies to mature and the broader industry to take off. We want to give a definitive answer to plastic waste issue,??? says Theo Roussis, CEO of Ravago.

Recycling of Colored and Mixed Plastic Packaging Waste

Chemical recycling will enable the companies to upgrade even colored and mixed plastic packaging waste into high-quality raw material for the production of new plastics, chemicals and fuels. Unlike mechanically recycled plastics, chemical recycling enables waste plastic to be used as raw material even in the most sensitive applications, such as in primary food packaging as well as pharmaceutical and healthcare applications.

About Neste

Neste, Helsinki, Finland, creates sustainable solutions for transport, business, and consumer needs. According to the company it is the world's largest producer of renewable diesel refined from waste and residues, introducing renewable solutions also to the aviation and plastics industries. In 2018, the company's revenue stood at EUR 14.9 billion. In 2019, Neste placed 3rd on the Global 100 list of the most sustainable companies in the world.

About Ravago

Since its foundation in 1961 by Raf Van Gorp, Ravago has been a family-owned, global service provider to the chemical industry. As a distributor of polymers and chemicals, logistics service provider and manufacturer of polymers, chemicals and construction materials, the company serves nearly 50,000 customers with multiple products and services. Nowadays, the company with its 7000 employees mechanically recycles over 300,000 t of polymer waste annually with the goal of tripling this volume over the coming ten years.

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