Waste-To-Polypropylene Production on a Roll, PureCycle Technologies Leads the Race

Orlando headquartered PureCycle Technologies Inc. has been aggressively investing to set up its plastic recycling plants at different geographical locations. PureCycle Technologies is a start-up company that aims to contribute to a sustainable future through its cutting-edge waste-to-Polypropylene technology that uses feedstocks in the form of plastic wastes which are otherwise dumped into landfills.

PureCycle’s patented recycling process, developed by the renowned company Proctor & Gamble, is a competent technology that produces high purity recycled Polypropylene by successfully removing all the traces of colour, odour and any kind of contaminants from the raw materials.

The company, on its mission to establish 50 recycling plants in a decade (about which it had announced in June, this year), has already built its flagship Polypropylene recycling plant at Ironton, Ohio. This plant which is set to commence in late 2022 will be operating to yield Polypropylene pellets from Polypropylene composite-based carpet scraps.

Ohio’s plant facility will also be equipped with KraussMaffei’s two twin-screw extruders that will facilitate melting of the dry Polypropylene carpet scraps used as feedstocks. The pure melted scraps will undergo further processing in a degassing extruder that will remove high-molecular residual monomers, solvent residues and lingering odours, resulting in the generation of Polypropylene pellets having identical characteristics and applications to their virgin counterparts.

Very recently, PureCycle Technologies worked out important deals with leading chemical giants for constructing recycled Polypropylene facilities. On September 13, 2021, the company signed an MoU with Tokyo-based Mitsui & Co. Ltd. as an initiative towards developing a Polypropylene recycling plant in Japan. Only a month earlier, the company had announced its partnership with South Korea’s chemicals major, SK Global, for building a recycling facility for the production of ultrapure Polypropylene resin in South Korea. 

Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer that forms an integral part of everyday-used commodities. It serves a wide range of end-user sectors that include, packaging, home appliances, electronics, automobiles, healthcare equipment, construction etc.

As per ChemAnalyst, the wide usage and surging Polypropylene demand poses immense opportunities for the companies indulging in its production. However, environmental pollution caused by its post-usage wastage is a major concern for environmentalists. With major economies shifting towards sustainable growth and industrialization, making Polypropylene a part of the circular economy is the need of the hour with great future scope. PureCycle’s aims fall strictly in line with the environmental regulations. Its partnerships and strategic planning are expected to aid in its geographical positioning and creating its brand name in the global market.