LyondellBasell acquires another plastics recycling company

        LyondellBasell has announced the acquisition of a 50% stake in Rodepa Vastgoed BV, the holding company of De Paauw Sustainable Resources (DPSR). The Dutch plastic waste recycler is engaged in the procurement, processing and trading of post-consumer and post-industrial plastic packaging waste.

        Founded in 1956, DPSR has grown into a leading recycler in the Benelux region, processing waste plastics into recycled polypropylene (r-PP) and low-density polyethylene (r-LDPE) materials, with an annual processing capacity equivalent to the amount of plastic packaging waste generated by more than 1.7 million Dutch citizens each year. "Investing in DPSR is in line with the company's strategy to increase access to plastic waste feedstock, allowing us to scale up and expand the production and supply of mechanically recycled CirculenRecover products." Yvonne van der Laan, executive vice president of circular and low-carbon solutions at LyondellBasell, said, "Demand for recycled plastics continues to grow as consumers and brand owners demand sustainable materials."

         As one of the world's largest polymer, petrochemical and fuel companies, LyondellBasell, founded in 2000, has become a global leader in polyolefin technology, production and market. Under the wave of the global plastic circular economy, LyondellBasell has frequently acquired plastic recycling companies.

        ◆Joint acquisition of TIVACO with Suez Group

        On December 8, 2020, LyondellBasell and Suez (now Veolia), a global leader in environmental services, jointly announced the acquisition of TIVACO, a plastic recycling company based in Brandam, Belgium. The company will become a subsidiary of the existing 50/50 plastic recycling joint venture Quality Circular Polymers (QCP). Through this transaction, QCP will increase its production capacity of recycled materials to approximately 55,000 tons per year. QCP recycled materials can be used to make items such as bottles, buckets, bottle caps, bottle stoppers, strollers and luggage.

        On May 31 this year, LyondellBasell signed an agreement with Veolia Belgium to restructure the ownership of the QCP BV recycling plant. Veolia will sell its 50% stake to LyondellBasell, which will own 100% of QCP. Full ownership of QCP allows LyondellBasell to further advance its strategy of building a profitable circular and low-carbon solutions business to meet customer demand for more sustainable products and solutions.

        ◆Build advanced recycling plants

        In 2018, LyondellBasell collaborated with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) to develop molecular recycling technology; the efficiency of MoReTec technology was demonstrated on a laboratory scale.

        On November 21, 2022, LyondellBasell plans to build a new advanced recycling plant in Wesseling, Germany. The company currently has mechanical recycling facilities in the Netherlands and Belgium, and is developing new plastic waste sorting and recycling plants in Houston, Germany, China and India. This new recycling plant uses LyondellBasell's proprietary MoReTec technology.

        The start-up of the MoReTec advanced recycling plant is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025, with an estimated annual production capacity of 50,000 tons. The raw materials produced will be converted into new CirculenRevive polymers at LyondellBasell's Wesseling plant for applications such as food packaging and healthcare products.

        ◆Investment in solvent-based recycling technology for waste plastics

        In February 2023, LyondellBasell and KIRKBI A/S, the holding investment company of the LEGO brand family, announced the signing of an agreement to invest in APK. APK specializes in a unique solvent-based recycling technology for low-density polyethylene (LDPE), aiming to increase the recycling of multi-layer flexible packaging materials.

        According to the agreement, LyondellBasell and KIRKBI will become minority shareholders of APK and invest approximately 130 million euros in APK together with other co-investors. More Newcyling plants are planned to be built to increase production capacity.

        ◆Joint venture with German agricultural film recycler AFA Nord to establish a new company

        In June 2023, LyondellBasell and German agricultural film recycler AFA Nord announced the establishment of a joint venture, with each party holding a 50% stake, to promote the recycling of secondary plastic packaging.

        AFA Nord, based in Holstein, Germany, recycles about 26,000 tons of agricultural and packaging films each year and produces high-quality recycled pellets from them.

        The new company, LMF Nord, will be based at the AFA Nord headquarters and will convert linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) waste into high-quality recycled plastic materials for flexible packaging; the plant is expected to be operational in early 2025 with a capacity of 26,000 tons/year.

        ◆Acquisition of Mepol Group, a manufacturer of high-performance polymers

        On July 5, 2023, LyondellBasell announced that it had completed the acquisition of Mepol Group. Mepol S.r.l. and its subsidiaries Polar S.r.l. and Industrial Technology Investments Poland Sp.z.o.o will become subsidiaries of LyondellBasell's Advanced Polymer Solutions (APS) business unit.

        Founded in 1996, Mepol Group is a manufacturer of recycled, high-performance technical polymers located in Italy and Poland, with its own laboratories and extrusion lines, with an annual output of 67,000 tons; with 30 years of experience, Mepol integrates sustainability into its industrial strategy, planning and control of plastic recycling activities and the production of thermoplastic compounds.

        LyondellBasell is building a leadership position through its integrated value chain approach to respond to the rapidly growing demand for circular and renewable solutions with innovative products and technologies. Since 2019, LyondellBasell's sustainable polymers and high-performance compounding brand Circulen has produced and sold more than 175,000 tons of polymers based on recycled and renewable raw materials. As part of its sustainability efforts, LyondellBasell aims to produce at least 2 million tons of recycled and renewable polymers per year by 2030.