A long-term agreement entered into by LyondellBasell and Nexus Circular will see Nexus Circular annually supplying 24,000 tons of the recycled feedstock produced at its planned new facility to the raw materials producer. The feedstock will be used by LyondellBasell at its Channelview, Texas facility to produce new plastics which will be marketed under the CirculenRevive brand.
"This agreement is aligned with our circularity ambitions, advancing us closer to our 2030 goal,” said Yvonne van der Laan, LyondellBasell executive vice president of circular and low carbon solutions.
Nexus Circular will commence construction on the facility later this year. The facility will use the company’s proprietary pyrolysis process to convert ‘unrecyclable’ HDPE, LDPE, PP and PS plastic waste into a ready-for-use feedstock. Added to the cracker, this feedstock will partially displace the traditional virgin oil used to produced chemicals and plastics, producing new products based on a circular source. The company claims the process produces up to 20% higher yields than industry standards.
Nexus Circular’s process accepts used plastic feedstock with no expensive pre-treatment - or post treatment - required, the company said. Its energy-efficient design means it has a smaller carbon footprint than competing technologies; since 2018, the recycler has been producing consistent volumes at commercial scale. Nexus Circular is ISCC Plus certified.