Page 130 - CW E-Magazine (9-1-2024)

Point of View

suffer some polymer degradation, not all of which can be compensated through the incorporation of additives. They may also contain
products of thermal degradation that are not well known or poorly characterised. For these reasons, mechanically recycled polymers are
mostly downgraded in their application – say, from food to non-food use – and usually not permitted by regulators for use in discerning
markets such as food and pharma. In addition, processing of blends of mechanically recycled and virgin polymers almost always needs
tweaking of process conditions, and/or use of special-purpose chemical additives to make up some performance losses.

Mechanical recycling, however, has several advantages – it is technically less complex, can be done at small scale, is less energy-
intensive and recycling facilities are cheaper to build. Thanks to intensive research efforts, the quality of mechanically recycled polymers
has gotten significantly better in recent years, and this is enabling both a greater incorporation of recyclate into virgin materials, and
expanded the range of uses they can be put to.

No segregation of chemically recycled polymers
One point to note with chemical recycling is that there is no actual segregation of the polymer produced as ‘circular’ or ‘regular.’ All
customers buy into the same chemical product, but some (calculated by the MB approach) will have the benefits of a ‘circular’ tag (or
otherwise). For the petrochemical company, aside of bragging rights, the benefits stem from an ability to get a price premium for the
‘circular’ polymers, but how much is determined essentially by market conditions.

Though RIL is the first company to produce circular polyolefins in India, they have been available here for some time from the overseas
facilities of some global majors. In July last year, American energy major, ExxonMobil, made its first commercial sale of certified-circular
Exceed branded PE polymers in India – which can be used in food packaging – to the Noida-based flexible packaging company, UFlex. At
the time, the packaging company said it will be among the first in India to use these circular polymers to produce films for high-performance
flexible packaging, including food-grade applications, in collaboration with brand owners.

Blessing or a diversionary tactic?
Proponents of chemical recycling see it as a core strategy of the much-desired circular economy, without which a fully closed circular
economy of plastics and carbon would not be possible.

Sceptics believe it is a ploy by the global petrochemical industry to divert attention from the poor sustainability of its products. They
believe that with global production of plastics growing 3-4% per year – on a significant existing production base – no downstream solu-
tion, no matter how good, is going to scale up and keep pace to tackle the issue!

Another criticism – more valid – is that it could undermine other meaningful activities towards the circular economy: Why go to all
the trouble of material reduction, product design for recycling, collection, separation and material recycling, when you can just put the
entire waste into chemical recycling?
Critics of chemical recycling also refer to the low maturity of the technologies and the wide uncertainty ranges of existing sustainability
assessments. According to some calculations, the overall mass efficiency of the first stage of conversion – from plastic waste to the
pyrolysis oil – is only about 70%, with significant energy needed to purify the oil before it is in a form in which it can be fed into the cracker.

But these are still early days for chemical recycling, and with time and research the suitability of the various chemical recycling
techniques and their environmental benefits, compared to energy recovery and mechanical recycling, will get clearer.

Room for multiple solutions
Global demand for polymers is expected to continue to grow, especially in emerging markets where per capita consumption levels
are still low. Though the growth rates will be impacted by increased use of recyclates as a substitute for virgin resin, most estimates
suggest demand will continue to rise, albeit at a pace slower than in the past. Annual global growth rates in demand for polyolefins are
expected to be in the band of 2-3%, though faster growth – approaching 5-6% – are likely in India.

The scaling up of chemical recycling has only just begun, and given the many challenges that need to be overcome, it is a process
that will take time, technological advances and lots of capital. While it is developing quickly, particularly in Europe and the US, due to the
commitments of large-scale polymer producers, it is heartening to see an Indian company join the list of companies with skin in the game!
Ravi Raghavan

130 Chemical Weekly January 9, 2024

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