PureCycle and Landbell expand polypropylene upcycling streams in Europe
Purecycle’s first European polypropylene recycling plant will transform 59,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually
Landbell Group and PureCycle Technologies Inc. are now collaborating with the intent of prioritizing and expanding the upcycling of polypropylene (PP) waste into high-purity recycled PP that can be used in demanding applications across Europe.
Landbell Group is a global operator of more than 40 producer responsibility organizations and a provider of closed-loop recycling solutions. PureCycle Technologies Inc. focuses on innovating the recycling industry by providing a sustainable solution for purifying PP.
Combining two powerful recycling methods
In January 2024, Landbell Group and PureCycle Belgium began collaborating to advance the recycling of PP waste in Europe. As part of this collaboration, Landbell Group will use its expertise in the collection, sorting, and processing of plastics across several European countries. Landbell Group will supply the PP waste from its household collections as feedstock for PureCycle's first European PP recycling plant in Antwerp, Belgium, with an annual capacity of 59,000 tonnes once constructed and operating. PureCycle Belgium will use its innovative form of dissolution recycling and experience from PureCycle's flagship plant in Ironton, Ohio, which is expected to have an annual capacity of 48,600 tonnes once fully operational.
PureCycle transforms polypropylene plastic into a versatile, replenishable resource through a unique purification process, involving multiple steps. The result is a PP-recyclate that can serve as a drop-in replacement to virgin PP. PureCycle's PureFive recyclate can be recycled and reused multiple times and is already being used in commercial applications in the U.S.
Through this partnership with PureCycle, Landbell Group will ensure that the thermoplastic polymer which is widely used in the packaging industry, from food and beverage packaging to industrial and consumer goods packaging, is redirected towards high-quality recycling. In this way, Landbell Group strengthens its commitment to the development of innovative recycling solutions to enable a circular economy.
PureCycle's vice president of European and Asia Pacific operations, Wiebe Schipper said, "Our collaboration with Landbell Group represents a significant step to advance plastic circularity in Europe. We're proud to collaborate with another sustainably minded company that is committed to reducing plastic waste and creating a circular economy for plastics. PureCycle is looking forward to collaborating with Landbell Group as we work to make dissolution recycling more widely available throughout the region."
Uwe Echteler, COO of Landbell Group said, "By combining the innovative and robust approaches of PureCycle Technologies and Landbell Group in Europe, we will drive higher recycling rates and high-quality recycled PP, empowering producers to close the loop and to fulfill their new obligations from the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation."
