Neste Explores Use Of Waste Plastic In Fossil Refining
On July 18, 2018, Neste, a member of the Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) announced that it is exploring the use of waste plastic as a raw material in fossil refining, with a plan to start an industrial scale trial during 2019. If successful, Neste could process one million tons of plastic waste annually by 2030. The chemical recycling process uses “waste plastics as raw material for the refining and petrochemical industries to convert into end products such as fuels, chemicals, and new plastics.” This method compliments traditional mechanical recycling by significantly increasing the possible uses of waste plastics and creating greater demand for chemical recycling in general. To accelerate development, Neste is looking for partners across the value chain, including in waste management and upgrading technologies.