Chemical Recycling Industry Development Report for Waste Plastics (IV): Enterprise Perspective

02 | Chemical Recycling Industrial Chain for Synthetic Fibers / PET Bottles There are two pathways in the chemical recycling industrial chain for synthetic fibers and packaging: one involves depolymerizing PET bottles and waste textiles (e.g., polyester, nylon, spandex) into monomers, followed by repolymerization to produce fibers, bottle flakes, and film materials; the other involves polyolefin-based chemical recycling plants converting waste plastics into plastic oil or butadiene-benzene-xylene (BTX), which petrochemical enterprises then process into monomers for synthetic fibers and packaging materials—subsequently transformed into fibers, bottle flakes, and film materials. Using polyolefin-based waste plastics to produce PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) ethylene and benzene—and further synthesizing PET monomers—enables production of virgin-quality PCR PET. This approach circumvents the excessively high raw-material costs associated with bottle-to-bottle recycling and thus represents a highly promising direction. Currently, companies such as Kemao Environment are collaborating with upstream and downstream partners to advance projects along this route. In 2021, Shuye Environmental Protection commissioned a 70,000-ton-per-year chemical recycling r-BHET production line. Its r-BHET received ISCC PLUS certification and is produced via the company’s patented chemical alcoholysis recycling technology for polyester feedstocks. It has earned high recognition from Fortune 500 enterprises including SABIC, South Korea’s SK Group, and Coca-Cola. The product finds broad application in specialty engineering plastics, premium cosmetic bottles, high-end sportswear, and advanced athletic footwear materials. In the same year, Sanlian Hongpu signed a contract worth RMB 62.56 million with Zhejiang Jiahua—a subsidiary controlled by Taihua New Materials—for a chemical recycling project to regenerate nylon materials. Successful implementation of this project would fill a domestic technological gap and instantly reach world-class standards. 03 | Chemical Recycling Industrial Chain for Foam (PU) There are two pathways in the chemical recycling industrial chain for foam: one involves depolymerizing waste foam and other polyurethane products into monomers, followed by repolymerization to manufacture new foam products; the other involves polyolefin-based chemical recycling plants converting waste plastics into plastic oil or butadiene-benzene-xylene (BTX), which petrochemical enterprises then process into polyol and isocyanate monomers—subsequently used to produce foam products. Polyurethane products fall into two categories: thermosetting and thermoplastic. Numerous physical recycling cases exist for thermoplastic polyurethane, whereas no physical recycling cases currently exist for thermosetting polyurethane; chemical recycling thus represents a key potential avenue for its regeneration. In 2021, Covestro launched a pilot chemical recycling facility for soft foam in Germany, aiming to chemically recycle soft foam from discarded mattresses and ultimately resell the recovered raw materials. 04 | Chemical Recycling Industrial Chain for Organic Glass (PMMA) There are two pathways in the chemical recycling industrial chain for organic glass: one involves depolymerizing waste PMMA into monomers via pyrolysis, followed by repolymerization to yield PCR PMMA—which can be used to manufacture new organic glass or blended with ABS to produce transparent ABS for automotive applications; the other involves polyolefin-based chemical recycling plants converting waste plastics into plastic oil or BTX, which petrochemical enterprises then process into methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomers—subsequently polymerized to yield PCR PMMA. Although global demand for PMMA remains modest, its most critical functional attribute—optical clarity—is difficult to retain through physical recycling. Consequently, chemical recycling is likely to become the dominant recovery method, and numerous successful implementations already exist worldwide. 05 | Enterprises Specializing in Chemical Recycling Technologies

Polyurethane Recycling

Basic Concepts In the 1930s, German scientist Otto Bayer first synthesized polyurethane (PU). Over the past 80-plus years, owing to its relatively low production cost and superior performance, polyurethane products have permeated nearly every facet of human production and daily life. Polyurethanes are primarily synthesized via condensation polymerization between polyisocyanates and multifunctional hydroxyl compounds. Their molecular structure comprises both soft segments and hard segments; in practical applications, specific physical and chemical properties can be tailored by adjusting the chemical nature and relative proportions of these segments. As the commercial footprint and production capacity of polyurethane continue expanding, large volumes of polyurethane waste are generated. Scientifically and efficiently recycling such waste thus constitutes an urgent challenge under today’s circular economy framework and the national strategies for achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Polyurethanes broadly fall into two categories—thermosetting and thermoplastic—and can be processed into polyurethane plastics (predominantly foams), polyurethane fibers (e.g., spandex), and polyurethane elastomers. Most polyurethane materials are thermosetting—including flexible, rigid, and semi-rigid polyurethane foams, as well as reaction injection molding (RIM) polyurethane elastomers used in automotive components. These thermosetting materials differ fundamentally from thermoplastic polyurethanes and cannot readily be reprocessed via melt granulation and blending with virgin material. Currently, post-consumer thermosetting polyurethane waste is mostly disposed of via incineration or landfilling. Landfilling is an undesirable solution—it consumes land resources and incurs significant costs. Incineration recovers thermal energy, yet because polyurethane is a nitrogen-containing polymer, combustion conditions must be strictly controlled and equipped with absorption devices to minimize toxic emissions and environmental pollution. In recent years, ongoing scientific research has gradually diversified polyurethane recycling methods. Numerous disposal methods exist for polyurethane waste, yet most still require improvement. Landfilling was once the most common method but is being phased out due to land resource consumption and environmental contamination. Physical recycling is operationally simple and cost-effective, yet limited by constraints on both processing and final product quality. Chemical recycling holds strong developmental promise: decades of research have yielded multiple chemical recycling approaches—including hydrolysis, aminolysis, acidolysis, and alcoholysis. Hydrolysis employs superheated steam to decompose polyurethane, but subsequent separation and purification of recovered products incur prohibitively high costs, rendering it economically unattractive. Aminolysis and acidolysis remain at experimental and early industrial exploration stages, showing promising prospects. Alcoholysis is more widely applied, though its relatively high energy consumption and prolonged reaction times somewhat hinder large-scale industrial adoption. Physical Recycling Physical recycling offers an effective, economical solution for recycling rigid polyurethane foam and composite materials. First, original polyurethane foam products are reduced in particle size to meet specifications suitable for secondary processing. Waste materials collected from end-of-life products—or scrap generated during manufacturing—are converted into more usable forms, such as sheets, granules, or powders. Physical recycling is straightforward and inexpensive; common techniques include hot-press molding, extrusion molding, and filler-based methods. Adhesive Bonding This is the most widely adopted recycling technique. Flexible polyurethane foam is crushed using a shredder into fragments several centimeters in size, then sprayed with reactive polyurethane-based adhesives inside a mixer.

Covestro opens pilot plant for advanced chemical recycling elastomers in Germany

5 days ago

Covestro inaugurated a new pilot plant in Leverkusen to advance chemical recycling of its Vulkollan® polyurethane elastomers. The process recycles over 90% of material by mass and reduces carbon footprint by up to two-thirds compared to virgin materials.

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