
A chemical recycling plant with an annual capacity of 200,000 tons has commenced trial production in Jieyang city within Guangdong province in China.
China Daily reported that the facility is operated by Guangdong Dongyue Chemical Technology and incorporates a one-step recycling process that eliminates the need for sorting mixed plastics.
Guangdong Dongyue Chemical Technology chair Zhang Xingong said that the process transforms waste plastics directly into chemical raw materials, achieving a yield above 92% while bypassing sorting expenses.
Local and provincial authorities are reportedly fully supportive of the initiative, with Jieyang aiming to become a global hub for plastics chemical recycling.
The project plans to expand through two further phases, with an eventual target of recycling over three million tonnes of scrap plastic each year.
Jieyang deputy party secretary Wang Shaole was quoted by the newspaper as saying: “Through deep catalytic cracking, low-value mixed scrap plastics are directly converted into high-value-added chemical raw materials in a one-step process, which will effectively solve the problem of plastic pollution and achieve high-value recycling and utilisation.
“And with the vigorous promotion and application of the project in the following years, it is expected to help alleviate China’s external dependence on crude oil and contribute Guangdong’s wisdom and Chinese solutions to the world’s development of the green circular economy.”
Shaole has committed to running the plant based on market-driven and rule-of-law principles, fostering an international business environment to draw and support companies globally.