Repsol has added a range of chemically recycled ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers to its Reciclex portfolio. The Spanish petrochemical giant says this is the first product on the market to incorporate 100% circular AV from chemical recycling.
The move comes after Repsol invested €26 million in the installation of a new Reciclex production line at its Puertollano Industrial Complex in Spain. The company said the facility, where Repsol’s Primeva range of conventional EVA is produced, was ‘vital in developing, testing, and finally producing’ the new solution.
The Reciclex range encompasses both polyolefins and polyols obtained through chemical recycling, using plastic waste streams that cannot be mechanically recycled and would otherwise end up in landfill, according to Repsol. The new EVA range is certified under the ISCC Plus mass balance approach.
“This chemical recycling solution is especially relevant for EVA applications that cannot use mechanical recycling due to the properties required by the final product,” Repsol said in a statement. “With this new range, Repsol ensures the suitability of products for sensitive applications such as food contact products, cosmetics, or in the healthcare sector.”
The Recyclex range is also set to soon include polyol obtained through the chemical recycling of polyurethane waste. Repsol is building a new polyurethane foam recovery plant in Puertollano, the first on the Iberian Peninsula, expected to be operational in 2023.
Repsol’s investment and new product ranges are in line with recent European and Spanish regulations, which are aimed at achieving a recycled content target of 30% for plastic packaging by 2030.