{"id":31205,"date":"2024-05-16T13:23:05","date_gmt":"2024-05-16T11:23:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swecobelgium.be\/blog\/from-trash-to-treasure-transforming-waste-plastics-back-into-raw-materials\/"},"modified":"2025-03-18T09:11:11","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T08:11:11","slug":"from-trash-to-treasure-transforming-waste-plastics-back-into-raw-materials","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.swecobelgium.be\/en\/news\/from-trash-to-treasure-transforming-waste-plastics-back-into-raw-materials\/","title":{"rendered":"From trash to treasure: transforming waste plastics back into raw materials"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In Europe, yearly about 26 <\/span>million <\/span>tonnes<\/span> of plastics is disposed as waste. To align with European and Flemish goals new recycling methods are required. For the plastics to chemicals project, our client <\/span>Indaver<\/span>, together with the universities of Ghent and Antwerp, developed an innovative process to convert end-of-life waste plastics back into raw materials for the chemical industry.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

These are the plastics that have long been <\/span>deemed<\/span> unfit for traditional mechanical recycling methods.<\/span><\/span> To make that happen<\/span> t<\/span>hey’ve<\/span> developed a depolymerization process.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A leap in recycling rates<\/h2>\n

Imagine saving 3.5 <\/span>tonnes<\/span> of plastic waste every hour\u2014the equivalent weight of an adult orca. This is the potential of the <\/span>innovative<\/span> process introduced by Indaver, which breaks down complex plastic materials into shorter hydrocarbon chains. These chains then serve as a valuable resource for the chemical industry, effectively turning waste into wealth.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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<\/svg><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\tWith this plastics to chemicals project we can save 3.5 tonnes of plastic waste per hour \u2013 that\u2019s a size of an orca!\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n
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The circular economy in action<\/h2>\n

This depolymerization technique is more than just recycling\u2014it’s a critical shift in our approach to plastic waste.<\/span> By unlocking the value in what was once trash, we decrease our dependence on oil and take a significant step towards solving the global plastic crisis.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here, waste is not an endpoint but a starting block for new resources. It’s initiatives like these that demonstrate how even the most substantial sectors can contribute to a more sustainable future, reducing waste and embracing a circular approach to industry.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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