German packaging manufacturer Südpack (Ochsenhausen; www.suedpack.com) has announced its participation in a chemical recycling project with compatriot Recenso (Remscheid; www.recenso.eu) to process complex laminated films from the packaging industry. Traditional mechanical recycling currently has a limited ability to process films composed of multiple layers of different polymers. Engineers at Recenso have developed a process to convert mixed plastic fractions into pyrolysis oil, which will be used to produce virgin-grade plastic granules for packaging applications such as food and medical products.

Recenso subsidiary Carboliq has started an industrial-scale pilot plant at a public waste site in Ennigerloh / Germany. The company said it is working in close cooperation with the polymer industry, and starting this quarter the plant’s feed will be changed to various plastic fractions with a focus on end-product quality. Plans are to double capacity at the beginning of 2021. “The design complies with international standards for industrial applications and is used for the testing and further development of chemical recycling in Germany,” Recenso’s managing partner Christian Haupts explained.

Südpack said the collaboration “marks an initial pioneering step towards an efficient circular economy,” adding that it will “further strengthen this innovation through investments in the future as well.”