APR Chemcycle has secured a development licence from Environment Protection Authority (EPA) in the Australian state of Victoria to build the state’s first advanced chemical recycling (ACR) plant for soft plastics.

The facility, to be constructed at Rowsley Station Road, Maddingley will utilise pyrolysis technology to transform waste soft plastics into commercial-grade oil, aiding the production of new packaging.

The plant will include a building to house the equipment, a pyrolysis plant and associated controls, and oil storage tanks.

APR Chemcycle represents a joint effort by APR Plastics, Aster Chemicals and Energy, Taghleef Industries Group and the Pro-Pac Group.

This partnership has been established to ensure that the Maddingley plant's processing and offtake needs are met.

The collaboration addresses the complex issue of recycling multi-layer soft plastics, commonly used in food packaging but difficult to recycle due to their intricate composition.

According to Victoria's environmental regulator, with an initial processing capacity of ten tonnes of waste plastic per day, the facility is a significant step towards sustainable waste management. The project has garnered funding support from Sustainability Victoria.

APR Chemcycle will manage the pyrolysis process and Aster will then refine the oil into olefins, which will be transformed into polypropylene resin.

Taghleef is set to manufacture this resin into PP film, and Pro-Pac will round off the process by producing snack food wrappers from the recycled film.

The partnership has set a target to convert up to 3,000 tonnes of soft plastic waste into pyrolysis oil each year, as reported by Packaging News.

The initiative creates a circular economy for post-consumer packaging, demonstrating a sustainable pathway for the material's lifecycle.