ORLEN joins the global recycling project NEXTLOOPP
The ORLEN Group has become a participant in the worldwide recycling initiative known as NEXTLOOPP. This project is dedicated to advancing and bringing to market innovative recycling technologies, with a particular emphasis on the creation of circular polypropylene (rPP) derived from consumer waste.
The newly introduced technology is designed to adhere to the rigorous quality standards set by the European Union and Great Britain, particularly concerning materials in contact with food and cosmetics. This initiative is geared towards enhancing the sustainability and environmental friendliness of plastic packaging production.
What is NEXTLOOP?
The NEXTLOOPP initiative addresses the market gap for products sourced from recycled consumer waste while ensuring compliance with stringent standards for materials in contact with food and cosmetics. Currently, packaging of this nature is predominantly crafted from new raw materials, contributing to substantial waste generation. ORLEN’s participation in NEXTLOOPP signals a commitment to advanced polymer recycling and processing technologies, laying the groundwork for their integration into the market.
In its pursuit of sustainable petrochemistry, the ORLEN Group aspires to emerge as a leader in Central and Eastern Europe in the realm of plastic recycling. As part of this endeavor, the company aims to amplify its recycling capacity tenfold, reaching 300,000 tons per year by 2030. This ambitious objective necessitates not only financial investment but also the development of competencies, technology, and know-how. Joining NEXTLOOPP provides ORLEN with the opportunity to devise and implement innovative solutions aligned with the principles of the circular economy, a critical response to escalating environmental standards and consumer expectations.
A fundamental challenge in producing recyclates for food and cosmetic packaging lies in maintaining the purity of the recycled input. Mixed plastic waste typically contains diverse admixtures, performance-enhancing additives, and impurities that pose challenges in reusing the recyclate for packaging production.
Innovative technologies
The NEXTLOOPP initiative is dedicated to advancing innovative decontamination methods and sophisticated sorting processes utilizing fluorescent markers. Employing PolyPrism technology, the project enables the identification and separation of polypropylene (PP) approved for food contact from other packaging waste. This approach achieves remarkably high input purity, reaching up to 99% after two sorting stages. Another pivotal aspect in the production of polypropylene recyclates involves an innovative disinfection technology known as PPristine.
Bartłomiej Samardakiewicz, Head of the ORLEN Recycling Project Coordination and Implementation Team, underscores that ORLEN’s participation in NEXTLOOPP marks the commencement of a new era, delving into the realm of hybrid recycling. This method combines mechanical and chemical processes with the aim of attaining recyclate quality comparable to that obtained through chemical recycling but at a more cost-effective rate. The implementation of these new technologies, along with robust research and development support, stands as crucial in achieving the company’s strategic objectives.
The solutions devised within NEXTLOOPP have already undergone successful pilot-scale testing, and ongoing efforts among project participants are directed toward transitioning them into industrial processes. A key premise of the project is the ability to integrate raw material sorting into existing infrastructure and technological processes, thereby minimizing the necessity for new sorting installations or additional training.
Edward Kosior, Founder and Managing Director of NEXTEK Ltd. and NEXTLOOPP, underscores the significance of closing the loop for waste food polypropylene packaging to achieve a climate-neutral circular economy. He views ORLEN as an active participant in the project, contributing to extending the life cycle of polypropylene and consequently reducing CO2 emissions and waste directed to landfills and incinerators.
Source: orlen.pl