Korean waste management company GE Technology is licensing Honeywell's UpCycle Process Technology for use in the new chemical recycling plant it plans to build in South Korea. This first commercialised waste plastics recycling facility to use Honeywell's UpCycle Process Technology in Korea will annually process 30,000 metric tons of mixed waste plastics into what Honeywell calls Recycled Polymer Feedstock (RPF), starting in 2025.
"Honeywell's UpCycle Process Technology not only allows us to reduce waste by expanding the types of plastics that can be recycled, but also displaces the need for fossil fuels in the creation of virgin plastics," said Woo-Hyun Shim, vice president of GE Technology.
The process is a proven one that utilises molecular conversion, pyrolysis, and contaminants management technology to convert waste plastic to into a high-quality feedstock that, depending on the cracker, requires no further processing before use. It is suitable for a wide number of plastics, including coloured, flexible, multilayered packaging, and polystyrene, that in many cases would otherwise go to landfill or be incinerated.
"Honeywell's technology can play a key role in driving a circular plastics economy to tackle the global challenge of plastic waste,” emphasised Barry Glickman, vice president and general manager, of Honeywell Sustainable Technology Solutions.
The announcement expands the UpCycle Process Technology footprint, building on Honeywell's recent announcements in the U.S., Spain, Turkey, China, and Egypt.
Honeywell's UpCycle Process Technology was created within Honeywell's Sustainable Technology Solutions (STS) business, which is part of Honeywell UOP.
Korean GE Technology opts for Honeywell’s chemical recycling technology
