LyondellBasell Collaborates with AFA Nord to Recycle Secondary Plastic Packaging

Europe: LyondellBasell, a leading advanced recycler based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and AFA Nord, an agricultural film recycler from Hohenwestedt, Germany, have announced a joint venture to recycle flexible post-commercial secondary packaging scrap. The two companies will equally invest in LMF Nord GmbH, which aims to construct a mechanical recycling plant in northern Germany. The plant will convert linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) and Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) into premium-grade recycled plastics that can be utilized in flexible packaging. Production is set to commence by early 2025.

LyondellBasell has stated that plastic secondary packaging, primarily used for protecting consumer goods during transport and storage, has been a challenge to recycle into premium raw materials that meet the packaging industry's standards for strength and transparency.

LyondellBasell's Vice President of Circular and Low-Carbon Solutions, Yvonne van der Laan, has announced a new partnership that will provide recycled LLDPE and LDPE materials. This venture will complement the company's existing CirculenRecover product line for High-Density Polyethylene and Polypropylene. The move aligns with LyondellBasell's integrated hub strategy, which aims to invest upstream to supply raw materials from various plastic waste streams. By offering this comprehensive range of effective solutions, LyondellBasell remains the preferred partner of its customers.

Nord anticipates that the recently established recycling center will yield an impressive 26,000 tons of recycled LLDPE and LDPE annually. These recycled materials will be marketed by LyondellBasell under their CirculenRecover product line, which offers a broad range of mechanically recycled materials suitable for various applications such as stretch films and shrink grouping films. Additionally, CirculenRecover products are currently utilized in a variety of products including electrical appliances, detergent bottles, and suitcases.

AFA Nord's affiliated firm, TM Recycling GmbH, has been appointed as the raw material supplier for LMF Nord GmbH. TM Recycling, which is situated in Hohenwestedt and is also part of the Mensing Group, has been running the sole agricultural film recycling plant in Germany for several years, gaining significant expertise in manufacturing recycled materials, according to AFA Nord's Managing Director, Andreas Mensing. The partnership with LyondellBasell will aid in promoting a circular economy and ensuring greater accessibility to recycled solutions for flexible packaging applications.

LyondellBasell is a global leader in the production of polymer compounds, with a footprint spanning over 100 countries. Additionally, we hold the distinction of being the largest licensor of polyolefin technologies. Cutting-edge materials and technologies are driving progress in diverse areas such as food safety and access, clean water, air quality, fuel efficiency, top-notch healthcare, and sustainable modern living.