New sorting line required to produce feedstock for advanced plastic recycling

Renewi and Freepoint Eco-Systems International Ltd. (Freepoint Eco-Systems) announce their intention to enter into a long-term and strategic cooperation to produce feedstock for the advanced recycling of waste plastics. This collaboration aims to divert end-of-life plastics from incineration by developing the sorting and treatment infrastructure. The goal is to supply 80,000 tonnes of feedstock for Freepoint Eco-Systems’ first European advanced recycling facility to be located at the Kluizendok site in Ghent, Belgium. By joining forces, these two industry leaders in waste management and recycling are addressing both the growing demand for sustainable solutions for end-of-life plastics and the use of pyrolysis oil to create recycled products.

A pioneering collaboration between the chemical and waste industries

Earlier this year, Freepoint announced the development of its flagship advanced plastics recycling facility in Ghent. In the coming months, Renewi and Freepoint Eco-Systems will work together to establish the pre-processing infrastructure, which will allow for the supply of 80,000 tonnes of feedstock for that plant. Pyrolysis in advanced recycling is a thermal decomposition process in which existing plastic materials are heated without oxygen to break them down into smaller molecules for use as raw material. Freepoint Eco-Systems’ advanced recycling facility will make it possible to recycle complex, mixed plastics that are difficult to process in any other way, making this facility a perfect complement to mechanical recycling.

The collaboration between Renewi and Freepoint Eco-Systems represents a significant step in the waste treatment chain and a major development in Europe’s circular economy. This partnership will bridge the current gap between waste and products and aligns with the ecological commitments (Green Deal) and emerging obligations for recycled content in new products.

By diverting end-of-life plastics that would otherwise be incinerated, this advanced recycling project is expected to enable a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, as well as a reduced need for fossil resources to produce new products. It will bring value to the local and global circular economies, from upstream waste material extraction to downstream end products.

Development of a new sorting line 

Freepoint Eco-Systems and Renewi are exploring the development and co-investment of a new sorting facility that will be essential for producing the 80,000 tonnes of feedstock needed for the advanced recycling plant. Renewi will leverage its accumulated expertise with its state-of-the-art residual waste sorting line, which has been operational for over a year and has already demonstrated the ability to produce high-quality feedstock for advanced recycling.

This new sorting line will utilise various innovative sorting techniques, including the utilisation of residual heat from the advanced recycling plant. This process will transform different end-of-life plastic sources into a consistent and high-quality feedstock, reintegrating them into the circular economy.

"We are very pleased to embark on this first step with Freepoint Eco-Systems in the development of their first advanced plastic recycling facility. This collaboration fits perfectly with our strategy as a waste-to-product company and represents a significant milestone in our commitment to a circular economy and sustainable solutions. By combining our expertise in the waste and chemical sectors, we aim to address the growing need for innovative processes in the treatment of end-of-life plastics," stated Mark Thys, Chief Operating Officer of Commercial Waste for Renewi.

“This project is a clear example that only through cross-industrial collaboration can the plastic waste crisis be tackled,” said Jacco de Haas, Freepoint Eco-Systems’ Chief Commercial Officer, Recycling Europe. “The waste streams which now end up in incineration, combined with the expertise of Renewi and the new sorting line, will increase the total plastic recycling rates and will be fully complementary to mechanical recycling.”