INEOS Inovyn launches new-generation recycling pilot plants

INEOS Inovyn commissioned two new PVC pilot plants at its Jemeppe-sur-Sambre facility in Belgium to accelerate PVC recycling technologies. Approximately 30% of PVC waste across Europe is mechanically recycled. INEOS Inovyn's Circle project aims to recycle waste that cannot be mechanically recycled by developing new technologies such as dissolution, pyrolysis and gasification. Among INEOS Inovyn's objectives are making all PVC waste recyclable and completing its first industrial unit by 2030. As part of this process, the company established two pilot plants in Jemeppe-sur-Sambre (Belgium), where INEOS Inovyn's main research and development centre is located. These units leverage the technology experience of Vinyloop™ from 2002 to 2018 and were designed to develop PVC dissolution technology that supports the recycling of complex PVC waste, including old additives.

Industrial partners coming together

INEOS Inovyn joined two Belgian consortia to support industrial-scale collaboration, a key part of Project Circle. The first, 'CIRC-PVC', covers the entire chain from collection of PVC waste at construction and demolition sites to production of recycled PVC free of old additives. This process brings together industrial partners and experts from different stages of the value chain: Entreprises Générales Louis Duchêne, Vanheede Environmental Logistics, ROVI-TECH, ECO-DEC, Avient Corporation's Belgium facility, Centexbel, University of Liège and INEOS Inovyn. The second consortium, 'DISSOLV', will lead development efforts on PVC waste from flooring, carpets and tarpaulin applications that cannot currently be recycled due to the presence of textile fibres and additives. Consortium members include Beaulieu International Group, Sioen Industries, Empire Carpets International, ExxonMobil, Centexbel and INEOS Inovyn. Luc Castin, Head of Sustainability at INEOS Inovyn, said: "By working together across the value chain, we can leverage our collective expertise to develop faster solutions and bring more recycled products to market. We need an evolving and competitive European plastics industry that enables us to increase investment and innovation in circularity and decarbonisation," emphasizing that the financial support provided by the Walloon and Flemish regions to the consortia is vital to achieving this. Source