Canadian polyethylene producer Nova Chemicals (Calgary, Alberta; www.novachemicals.com) and UK recycling technology company Plastic Energy (London; www.plasticenergy.com) are to explore the feasibility of developing a pyrolysis-driven advanced recycling facility in the Sarnia, Ontario, region in Canada. The companies said the facility would be based on Plastic Energy’s Tac process for converting post-consumer plastics waste into a feedstock, called Tacoil, for making virgin quality recycled polymers.

The facility would be the largest of its kind in Canada with a potential initial capacity of 66,000 t/y.

Recycled PE manufactured using Tacoil feedstock has identical properties to virgin PE and can be used in food contact and high-performance applications, the companies said. Carlos Monreal, CEO of Plastic Energy, said, “Advanced recycling will continue to be important for the North American market by providing a solution for incorporating recycled content into food-grade packaging.

Together with Nova Chemicals, we aim to reduce the amount of plastics waste ending up in landfills, incineration, or as leakage into the environment.” Plastic Energy has two commercial recycling plants in Spain that have been in operation for seven years, alongside new projects in Europe and Asia.

Related: Licencing agreement for Tacoil process in South Korea

Greg DeKunder, VP of Nova Circular Solutions, said the agreement would help Nova Chemicals “make progress towards our 2030 recycled plastics ambitions, while diverting hard-to-recycle segments of plastics waste away from landfills”. Nova Circular Solutions is Nova Chemicals’ new business focusing on lower emissions and recycled solutions, and is home to the company’s Syndigo portfolio of recycled PE.

Nova Chemicals aims to reach 30% recycled content as a share of its total PE sales by 2030 and said it is committed to building a state-of-the-art mechanical recycling business and exploring advanced recycling technologies. The company said this new project, if it goes ahead, would build on its already CAD 2 bn (EUR 1.38 bn) investment into Ontario.