A Scottish start-up pioneering plastic dissolution recycling, has secured funding to enable the scaling of its plastic recycling technology from pilot plant to commercial operation over the next 3 years.
Livingston-based ReVentas’ new recycling technology aims to tackle two of the most common plastics in use today, polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), which make up over 50% of all plastic produced.
Plastic remains an essential part of our daily lives, from the packaging we use, the products we interact with and the cars we drive; as a result, 390 million tonnes is produced annually. Dealing with plastic at end-of-life remains a challenge for society, with recycling rates around 9% globally. This is due to the complex composition of materials, their colour and the contamination they’ve picked up, resulting in the majority being incinerated. Any plastic that is recycled is often being downcycled into low value applications.
ReVentas’ unique technology uses a chemical solvent to rapidly dissolve PE and PP, filtering the plastic of all contaminants including colour and odour, and producing a natural like-new plastic which can be sold directly to end customers, replacing virgin plastic. The technology operates at low temperatures and pressures, reducing the cost of production making recycling more economically viable, whilst achieving an 80% reduction in carbon emissions over virgin plastic production.
“This investment marks a major milestone for ReVentas and in moving the recycling of plastic forward,” said Tom Rose, CEO of ReVentas. “Plastics are an essential part of our world, but so far, the industry has failed to provide workable solutions at-scale to deal with the impact they have on our environment. ReVentas are providing a simple solution which can change this, ensuring the waste we produce today, can and will be directly used in the products we buy tomorrow.”
Beiersdorf Venture Capital and Orlen VC will join LG Chem and others as strategic partners of ReVentas to support the scale up of the technology. With the funding secured, accelerating the development of ReVentas’ first commercial 10,000 tonne per annum plant, planned for operation in 2027 and an additional 140,000 tonnes planned to be brought online by 2031.
This investment highlights both the need for circular solution in plastic recycling and the impact that can be made from partners along the whole value chain, coming together to help solve a global problem.
“EU regulations mandate that 10% of packaging materials must come from recycled sources by 2030,” said Marek Garniewski, president of the management board at Orlen VC, one of the firms backing ReVentas.
“However, Europe faces significant shortages of high-quality secondary raw materials suitable for reuse in production. Meeting this obligation will be a challenge, but we see it as a business opportunity.
“Through this latest investment in cutting-edge recycling technology, we aim to leverage it effectively.”
