A plastics Circular Economy will be achieved faster if stakeholders collaborate. This is the message behind the joint venture between chemicals giant LyondellBasell and waste and water management juggernaut SUEZ, which was announced late last year (November 27th 2017).

× Expand Plastic sorted for recycling

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LyondellBasell agreed to purchase a 50 per cent stake in Quality Circular Polymers (QCP), a high-standard plastics recycling company in Sittard-Geleen, Netherlands. The facility is capable of converting consumer waste into 35,000 tonnes of polypropylene and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) per annum as of this year.

The deal makes LyondellBasell a 50/50 partner in QCP with SUEZ and marks the first time that a major plastics company has joined forces with a leader in waste management to contribute to circular economy objectives.

Senior Vice-President of Olefins and Polyolefins ? Europe, Asia and International for LyondellBasell Richard Roudeix believes the partnership demonstrates LyondellBasell's position as a champion of circularity and inter-sector collaboration.

"We need to take on responsibility and work with the value chain to find a solution," he told EPPM. "We are joining forces with [SUEZ] because collecting and sorting waste sorting is not one of our strengths and we feel it is much more appropriate to join forces with a specialist. So SUEZ will be bringing the raw waste material then they will be sorting it and we will apply our technical and application knowhow to upgrade this waste into a material we want to position as prime recyclate. The same quality as a prime product."

Matching expertise

The partnership with SUEZ has a strong foundation of shared values. Roudeix explained that whenever LyondellBasell enters into an agreement many factors have to be taken into account such as due diligence checks and other business parameters, but sharing a similar culture is just as important. In the deal with SUEZ, these twin sentiments were a bonus for LyondellBasell, as it meant teaming two leaders in their respective fields while sharing their passion for circularity.

"Circularity in plastics requires a combination of solutions and we need to work along the value chain," said Roudeix, who also serves as chairman of Cefic’s Climate Change and Energy Programme Council. "We need to work with designers in order to make the plastic part recyclable, we need to educate the consumer to make sure that people are aware of the environment, and we need to work with the brand owners so they take that into consideration. I am convinced that by working with the full value chain we will be able to fix the problem."

A key player in fixing the problem of plastics at end of life entering the correct waste streams, or languishing in landfill or the environment, is the brand owner and Roudeix acknowledged that it is this vital cog in the value chain that is putting pressure on the rest of the industry to help them find the solutions their environmentally-aware customers are looking for.

Finding the solution

Europe in particular is home to consumers that are motivated by recycling and the need to be green and Roudeix believes the region is world-leading in its mission to achieve plastics circularity.

"We need to find a solution that is workable, and today we don't have an active solution, however I am convinced we will find one," the expert stated. "There will be a combination of solutions, so I do see Europe more at the forefront of evaluating what could be future business models for circularity."

This mission includes tackling the thorny issues of resolving how we deal with difficult-to-recycle plastics at end of life, as well as doing away with less sustainable methods of getting rid of rubbish including incineration and landfill.

"We are the largest producer of polyethylene and polypropylene in Europe, so we have the knowledge and the technology that will hopefully dig up the solution," said Roudeix. "That is one of the reasons why we have been targeting this operation, because it is exactly in line with our core competencies."

He explained that in time, he is confident mechanical and chemical recycling technologies will be advanced enough to do away with incineration but for now, incineration is part of the waste management ecosystem.

"Provided we are able to develop the technologies in terms of mechanical or chemical recycling on a large enough scale that it is economical, we can live without incineration but today these technologies are not yet developed," the expert noted.

In the meantime, the LyondellBasell partnership is part of the solution to bringing more plastic waste back into the value chain, and keeping it out of the natural environment.

"We are excited because we are convinced the combination of both a leading waste management and a leader in polymer technology will be successful for the future."

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