Sumitomo Chemical (Tokyo / Japan; www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp) has launched its “Meguri” line of circular plastics products, created from chemical or material recycling technologies. The brand encompasses a variety of recovered plastics products, including acrylic resins like poly-methyl-methacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene and polypropylene.

The new product line includes polyolefins derived from municipal waste that are chemically recycled through a process being developed by Sumitomo and Japanese plastics manufacturing group Sekisui (see Plasteurope.com of 05.03.2020). Sumitomo is also looking at the production of PP compounds for automotive parts, produced by recycling used plastics.

The first product in the Meguri line will come from reclaimed PMMA resin obtained from a pilot chemical recycling facility being constructed at Sumitomo Chemical’s Ehime Works facility in Japan. The site combines a continuous plastics-decomposition technology that uses twin-screw extruders, from Japan Steel Works, with its technology that pyrolyses waste acrylic resin, then regenerates the material into methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomers for repolymerisation. Testing at the facility will begin in autumn 2022, with product samples expected to be available by 2023.