Total (Paris / France; www.total.com) has announced that it has acquired recycler Synova (Tillières-sur-Avre / France). According to Total, Synova specialises in high-performance recycled PP for the automotive sector. The company is listed on several independent registries as having around 25 employees, and Total says the recycler produces approximately 20,000 t/y of rPP.

With the buy, Total is taking a step in the direction of its competitors that have previously expanded into the recycling sector, such as Borealis – see Plasteurope.com of 20.07.2018 – and LyondellBasell – see Plasteurope.com of 16.03.2018. According to Plasteurope.com's Polyglobe database (www.polyglobe.net), Europe's top three PP producers are now involved in material recycling. The acquisitions should prepare the major players to supply PP compounds with "recycled content", which car makers will demand in the foreseeable future.