European recycling initiatives press ahead

Polymer companies increasingly want to get into the recycling business. LyondellBasell Industries is collaborating with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology to develop a process and catalysts to break down polymers into monomers that can be used to make new plastics. The parties hope to recycle plastics that are difficult to process with mechanical methods. LyondellBasell also recently bought a 50% stake in the Dutch recycler Quality Circular Polymers. Separately, Indorama has purchased Sorepla Industrie, a French firm that is one of Europe’s largest polymer recyclers with more than 50,000 metric tons of annual capacity.