Neste recently processed 400 tons of liquefied plastic waste at its refinery in Finland, the company says, an amount reportedly corresponding to the annual amount of plastic waste generated by 20,000 average European citizens. This was the first time Neste processed liquefied waste plastic at an industrial scale, according to the company. During the run, packaging and mixed waste plastics were upgraded into high-quality recycled feedstock for petrochemical industry uses, such as for the production of new plastics.
Neste aims to increase the volumes of liquefied waste plastic processing gradually to continue learning and developing the value chains and processing technologies. Next processing runs at Neste’s fossil oil refinery in Porvoo are being prepared, according to the company.
“While there is still a lot of work to be done, this is a huge step for our industry towards turning hard-to-recycle plastics from waste to a valuable resource, making circularity a reality,” says Mercedes Alonso, executive vice president, renewable polymers and chemicals at Neste.
Prior to the trial, Neste carried out extensive research and laboratory tests in addition to conducting comprehensive analyses with regards to production assets and processes to ensure the feasibility and safety of processing the new recycled raw material. The processing run marks an important milestone as Neste aims to replace crude oil use at its own refineries. Neste’s target is to process over 1 million tons of waste plastic annually from 2030 onwards.
In sourcing liquefied waste plastic for the processing run, Neste was supported by its partner Ravago. Together with Ravago and several other plastics value chain partners, Neste is developing chemical recycling technologies and capacity to enable recycling of plastic waste streams that are considered unsuitable for mechanical recycling and are currently destined for incineration or landfills.
For more information, visit: www.neste.com