Chemical recycling can safely provide a viable answer to the recycling of organic waste. Each of the various processes under discussion in this report is capable of reducing organic waste to its original petrochemical level, from which all plastics can be further produced.
Our exclusive content:
- Technology review for chemical recycling and forecasts to determine where the market will go
- Regional trends for the use of chemical recycling, and the legislation that accompanies this
- Exclusive packaging recycling trends and the subsequent impact on chemical recycling.
Chemical recycling is now becoming a subject of discussion, but there is not one single approach to it, rather many.
Chemical recycling can safely provide a viable answer to the recycling of organic waste. Each of the various processes under discussion in this report is capable of reducing organic waste to its original petrochemical level, from which all plastics can be further produced. These materials can further be used for a wide range of end uses, in particular the packaging of both food-contact and other products.
Legislation is becoming increasingly strict with regard to food packaging; at this moment all legislation forbids recycled plastics to be used in food-contact applications. Non-food packaging is another matter and here the use of mechanically recycled polymers is considered acceptable.
What will you discover?
- The legislation holding back the development of chemical recycling
- The economic viability of chemical recycling and the drawbacks of expanding the process
- The polymer types and subsequent technology for plastic packaging recycling.
Who should buy the report?
- Recycling companies
- Recycling equipment suppliers
- Raw material suppliers
- Analysts and consultants.
The Smithers methodology
This report is based on extensive primary and secondary research. Primary research consisted of interviews with raw material suppliers, converters and experts drawn from key markets.
This was supported by secondary research in the form of extensive literature analysis of published data, official government statistics, domestic and international trade organisation data, company websites, industry reports, trade press articles, presentations, and attendance at trade events.
About the author:
Patrick Ellis has spent over 50 years working in the European plastics industry, in a variety of functions such as technical, marketing and management. He has worked for a number of multinational organizations, including Shell, Borg-Warner, Monsanto, Hercules, Himont, Neste and the RTP Company. He has also written a number of articles on a wide range of subjects, including PP metallocene catalysts and technologies and alternative sources of lower-alpha olefins.
Table of Contents
Executive summary
Introduction & methodology
- Introduction
- Scope
- Objective
- Methodology
- Definitions and abbreviations
Packaging recycling trends
- Introduction
- Trends by recycling systems
- Trends by polymer
- Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
- Polyethylene (PE)
- General
- Low density and linear lowdensity polyethylene (LDPE/ LLDPE)
- High density polyethylene
- Olefinic elastomers/ plastomers
- Polypropylene (PP)
- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
- Polystyrene (PS)
- Polyurethane (PUR)
- Other plastics
- Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)
- ABS
- Mono-material flexible plastics packaging film.
- Trends by region, 2015-19
- Europe
- Western Europe
- Eastern Europe
- North America
- South and Central America
- Asia Pacific
- Middle East
- The impact of COVID-19 on the packaging industry
Polymer types and technologies for plastics packaging
- Introduction
- Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
- Polyethylene (PE)
- Polypropylene (PP)
- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
- Polystyrene (PS)
- Expanded polystyrene (EPS)
- HIPS
- Other thermoplastics
- Polyamide (PA)
- Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)
- Cyclic olefin copolymer (COC)
- Polyvinylidene chloride (PVdC)
- Ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH)
- Polyurethane (PUR)
- ABS
- Plastics' transformation processes used in packaging applications
Technology review and forecast for chemical recycling
- Introduction
- Current and future recycling systems
- Mechanical recycling
- Plastics waste collection
- Separation of plastics' waste
- Washing
- Grinding and pelletizing
- Packout and warehousing
- Market attraction
- Chemical recycling
- Solvent extraction or dissolution
- Depolymerisation
- Pyrolysis
- Hydro-thermal cracking
- Gasification with pure oxygen
- Conclusion
- Alternative recycling processes to both mechanical and chemical recycling
- Waste to energy (W2E)
- Refuse derived fuel (RDF)
- Landfill gas (LFG) End of life
- Introduction
- Waste plastics to plastics
- Waste plastics to precursors and monomers
- The Fischer-Tropsch process
- Waste plastics to chemicals
Regulations and legislation with regard to plastics waste management
- Introduction
- Europe
- North America
- United States of America
- Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act
- Canada
- The United States of Mexico
- South and Central America
- Brazil
- Other South and Central American Countries
- Asia
- China
- India
- Japan
- South Korea
- Singapore
- Malaysia
- Taiwan
- Philippines
- Australia
- New Zealand
Regional trends and future scenarios
- Introduction
- By region
- Europe
- North America
- South and Central America
- Brazil
- Other South and Central American countries
- Middle East
- Asia/Pacific
- China
- Japan
- India
- Other Asian/Pacific countries
- Australasia
- Africa
- By polymers
- Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
- Polyethylene (PE)
- Low density polyethylene (LDPE)
- High density polyethylene (HDPE)
- Polypropylene (PP)
- Other plastics
Competitive landscape
- Introduction
- Coca-Cola
- Neste
- BASF
- OMV/Borealis
- Plastic Energy
- BP
- Agilix
- Arcus
- ReNew ELP
- Mura Technology Limited
- Sekisui Chemical and Sumitomo Chemical
- Versalis
- Brightmark Energy
- Loop Industries
- Bio Collection
Summary and conclusions
- Introduction
- The urgency for recycling plastics
- The case for chemical recycling versus energy generation and mechanical recycling
Key Facts and Figures
- Global packaging market by material type, 2018 (% share)
- Global packaging market by end-use sector, 2018 (% share)
- Global consumption of plastics for flexible packaging, 2015-19 ('000 tonnes)
- Global consumption of plastics for flexible packaging, 2015-19 (%)
- Global consumption of plastics for rigid packaging, 2015-19 ('000 tonnes)
- Global consumption of plastics for rigid packaging, 2015-19 (%)
- Global consumption of plastics for packaging ('000 tonnes)
- Global consumption of plastics for packaging (%)
- Global packaging consumption for packaging markets by material, 2013- 18 and an estimate for 2023 ('000 tonnes)
- Global recycled packaging consumption in packaging markets by material, 2013-23 (%)
- Main thermoplastics suitable for packaging and their applications
- Global recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by material, 2015-19 ('000 tonnes)
- Global recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by material, 2015-19 (%)
- Global recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by geographical region, 2015-19 ('000 tonnes)
- Global recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by geographical region, 2015-19 (%)
- Advantages and disadvantages of current and future recycling systems
- Global waste generation streams, 2019 (%)
- Forecast global recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by material, 2020-25 and CAGR 2020-25 ('000 tonnes and %)
- Global recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by geographical region, 2020-25 ('000 tonnes)
- Global recycled plastics packaging CAGR for packaging markets by geographical region, 2020-25 (%)
- Main thermoplastics used for packaging
- Other thermoplastics used for packaging
- Other abbreviations used in the context of chemical and other recycling technologies
- Other terms used in the context of chemical and other recycling technologies
- Global recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by material, 2015-19 ('000 tonnes)
- Global recycled PET packaging consumption for packaging markets by geographical regions, 2015-19 ('000 tonnes)
- Global recycled LDPE packaging consumption for packaging markets by geographical regions, 2015-19 ('000 tonnes)
- Global recycled HDPE packaging consumption for packaging markets by geographical regions, 2015-19 ('000 tonnes)
- Global recycled PP packaging consumption for packaging markets by geographical regions, 2015-19 ('000 tonnes)
- Global other recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by geographical regions, 2015-19 ('000 tonnes)
- Global recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by region, 2015-19 ('000 tonnes)
- Western European recycled packaging consumption for packaging markets by major materials, 2015-19 ('000 tonnes)
- Eastern European recycled packaging consumption for packaging markets by major materials, 2015-19 ('000 tonnes)
- North American recycled packaging consumption for packaging markets by major materials, 2015-19 (million tonnes)
- South and Central American recycled packaging consumption for packaging markets by major materials, 2015-19 (million tonnes)
- Asian Pacific recycled packaging consumption for packaging markets by major materials, 2015-19 (million tonnes)
- Middle Eastern recycled packaging consumption for packaging markets by major materials, 2015-19 (million tonnes)
- Australasian recycled packaging consumption for packaging markets by major materials, 2015-19 (million tonnes)
- African recycled packaging consumption for packaging markets by major materials, 2015-19 (million tonnes)
- Plastics' transformation processes
- Current and future recycling systems
- Benefits of mechanical recycling systems
- Benefits of chemical recycling systems - general
- Benefits of the solvent extraction chemical recycling system
- Benefits of the depolymerisation chemical recycling system
- Benefits of the pyrolysis chemical recycling system
- Benefits of the hydro-thermal cracking chemical recycling system
- Benefits of the gasification chemical recycling system
- Benefits of alternatives to mechanical and chemical recycling systems
- Summary of the main implications of EU packaging legislation on future package design
- Summary of the main implications of EU packaging legislation on future extended producer responsibility (EPR) and taxation
- Summary of the main implications of EU packaging legislation on future package waste management
- Collection for recycling as a percentage of total consumption and packaging only
- Forecast global recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by plastics, 2020-25 and CAGR 2020-25 ('000 tonnes and %)
- Forecast Western European recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by plastics, 2020-25 and CAGR 2020-25 ('000 tonnes and %)
- Forecast Eastern European recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by plastics, 2015-19 and CAGR 2015-19 ('000 tonnes and %)
- Forecast North American recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by plastics 2020-25 and CAGR 2020-25 ('000 tonnes and %)
- Forecast South and Central American recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by plastics, 2020-25 and CAGR 2020-25 ('000 tonnes and %)
- Forecast Middle Eastern recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by plastics, 2020-25 and CAGR 2020-25 ('000 tonnes and %)
- Forecast Asian/Pacific recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by plastics, 2020-25 and CAGR 2020-25 ('000 tonnes and %)
- Forecast Australasian recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by plastics, 2020-25 and CAGR 2020-25 ('000 tonnes and %)
- Forecast African recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by plastics, 2020-25 and CAGR 2020-25 ('000 tonnes and %)
- Forecast global recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by geographical region, 2020-25 and CAGR 2020-25 ('000 tonnes and %)
- Forecast global recycled PET packaging consumption for packaging markets by geographical regions, 2020-25 ('000 tonnes)
- Forecast global recycled LDPE packaging consumption for packaging markets by geographical regions, 2020-25 ('000 tonnes)
- Forecast global recycled HDPE packaging consumption for packaging markets by geographical regions, 2020-25 ('000 tonnes)
- Forecast global recycled PP packaging consumption for packaging markets by geographical regions, 2020-25 ('000 tonnes)
- Forecast global other recycled plastics packaging consumption for packaging markets by geographical regions, 2020-25 ('000 tonnes)
