Plastic Recycling Technology and Outputs: Enhancing Material Longevity and Product Quality towards Commercialisation

Plastic is a remarkable material with many beneficial applications. Global plastic production reached 320Mt in 2015, and if current rates of growth persist, it is expected to reach 1.1Bt by 2050 (McKinsey, 2018). Yet, only 12% of end-of-life plastic is currently effectively recycled, and recycling rates are forecast to approximate only c. 60% by 2050 (McKinsey, 2018). Predictions of a business-as-usual scenario estimate that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish (Ellen MacArthur, 2016).

Recycling Technologies Ltd (RT) has developed an innovative plastic feedstock recycling process that uses thermal cracking (a chemical reaction that decomposes materials heated without oxygen), to recycle a wide range of plastic waste. The process is incorporated into a modular machine, the RT7000, which is capable of processing 7000tpa of hard-to-recycle mixed plastic waste, producing 5200tpa of a new valuable hydrocarbon oil, called Plaxx(r), which has multiple uses. Plaxx(r) can replace crude oil derived materials in plastics manufacturing, achieving RT's vision of creating a circular economy for plastics. With this technology, RT's Plaxx(r) can be used and re-used repeatedly, rather than used and disposed or made into lower quality products, as in the current linear system of production.

RT's aim is to flexibly process mixed plastic waste regardless of type, contaminant or origin, using a stable and reliable process, while better controlling the output product and maintaining its quality for customers.

RT has a pilot plant operating in Swindon and the first full-scale RT7000 machine is planned for installation at Binn Eco Park, Perthshire, Scotland in 2020\. Development and trials of the pilot plant have identified where the technology can be enhanced to process a wider variety of plastic waste and create a high quality Plaxx(r) product, as effectively as possible.

This project will enable partners to trial cutting-edge innovations to assure the integrity of the RT7000 machine and the quality of Plaxx(r). The project will lead to significant business growth for RT by generating new premium products. RT will also be able to create a substantial new market for currently unrecyclable plastic waste. This project will thus accelerate RT's growth potential and bring improved returns on investment. Enhancing our disruptive technology will provide the UK and beyond with an environmentally beneficial solution for mixed plastic waste and help reduce fossil fuel use.