Currently there are rising innovations in the plastics industry especially on the chemical recycling technologies where several companies are experiencing improvement in the chemical recycling processes. This Recycling Industry client – Freepoint Eco-Systems International has recently established an office in Düsseldorf, Germany, thus expanding its services to Northwestern Europe’s market of innovative recycling.

This is the new trend in the industry where many companies are investing in techniques that can depolymerize waste plastics, so as to produce feed stock for new products of equivalent quality of virgin polymer. However, Schneider Electric has teamed up with Gr3n, a PET chemical recycler, to launch what they describe as the world’s first open automation solution for next-gen plastic recycling.

Their partnership encompasses microwave assisted depolymerization auto – process expected to deliver recycled plastic with characteristics of virgin polymers. All these come at a time when the industry is under pressure to address problems of plastic wastes and optimize the recycling process.

Chemical recycling is claimed to be a complementary approach to mechanical recycling especially in handling of post-consumer mixed or contaminated plastic waste which cannot be recycled mechanically. Nonetheless, the technology has been criticized by other commentators who would like to suggest that while it appears to be the answer, it could actually be a distraction from the true goals of reduction and reuse strategies.

While these high-tech recycling methods are being further developed, people in the industry are paying attention to the methods’ sustainability and cost-effectiveness. The effectiveness of these programmes can significantly contribute to plastic circular economy as well as a decrease in the use of virgin materials derived from fossil fuels.