LyondellBasell (LYB) is making a significant investment in a cutting-edge closed-loop recycling center in Lich, Germany. The advanced facility is designed to convert plastic waste into high-quality feedstock for high-performance materials, furthering the company’s commitment to the circular economy and supporting the industry’s sustainability targets.
The project brings together the expertise of LYB’s dedicated team, a specialized service provider, and a university offering process support and analytical insights.
The new recycling center aligns with LYB’s integrated hub strategy, combining existing resources with innovative sorting and recycling technologies to enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and maximize the value of plastic waste.
The facility represents a major advancement in recycling complex, end-of-life durable goods such as automotive parts and white goods. The process requires the removal of paint, metals, and other additives to recover plastic suitable for high-quality feedstock.
“These initiatives are opening up new possibilities for recycling durable goods into high-quality materials,” said Frank Nöltgen, Vice President of Advanced Polymer Solutions Europe at LYB.
Nöltgen added, “By investing in sorting, recycling, and developing proprietary recycling technologies, we are taking major strides toward a sustainable future.”
The center will use mechanical recycling methods to process end-of-life plastics from vehicles and appliances, such as bumpers and trim, into high-grade recycled materials.
These materials will be integrated into the LYB CirculenRecover product line, offering sustainable solutions made from recycled content for demanding applications in automotive and white goods sectors, including structural parts, interior components, and visible features.
“We are thrilled to support automotive and white goods manufacturers in meeting their sustainability goals,” said Erik Licht, Director of New Business Development at Advanced Polymer Solutions Europe, LYB.
Licht added, “This closed-loop recycling center ensures valuable plastics stay in circulation, reducing reliance on virgin materials and enabling products with a lower carbon footprint compared to those made from virgin resources.”
The Lich facility is set to reach commercial scale by the fourth quarter of 2024. As per the press release, the investment supports LyondellBasell’s ambitious goal of producing and marketing at least two million metric tons of recycled and renewable-based polymers annually by 2030.
