Extrusion International USA 1-2019

54 Extrusion International 1/2019 MATERIALS, RECYCLING Products made with Chemically Recycled Plastics BASF is breaking new ground in plastic waste recycling with its ChemCycling project Chemical recycling provides an in- novative way to reutilize plastic waste that is currently not recy- cled, such as mixed or uncleaned plastics. Depending on the region, such waste is usually sent to land- fill or burned with energy recov- ery. But chemical recycling offers another alternative: Using thermo- chemical processes, these plastics can be utilized to produce syngas or oils. The resulting recycled raw materials can be used as inputs in BASF’s production, thereby partial- ly replacing fossil resources. BASF has for the first time manu- factured products based on chemi- cally recycled plastic waste and is thus one of the global pioneers in the industry. “A responsible use of plastics is crucial to solve the world’s waste problem. This ap- plies to companies as well as to institutions and consumers. With chemical recycling we want to make a significant contribution in reducing the amount of plastic waste,” said Dr. Martin Brudermül- ler, Chairman of the Board of Ex- ecutive Directors and Chief Tech- nology Officer (CTO) of BASF SE. “With our ChemCycling project, we are using plastic waste as a re- source. In this way, we create value for the environment, society and the economy. We have joined forc- es with partners throughout the value chain to establish a working circular model,” said Brudermüller. BASF is collaborating closely with its customers and partners, which range from waste management companies to technology providers and packaging producers, to build a circular value chain. From waste to cheese packaging and fridge components BASF is already developing pi- lot products, including mozarella packaging, refrigerator compo- nents and insulation panels, with 10 customers from various indus- tries. Manufacturing products that meet high quality and hygiene standards – which are specifically required for food packaging for example – is possible because the ChemCycling products supplied by BASF have exactly the same prop- erties as products made from fossil resources. Stefan Gräter, head of the ChemCycling project at BASF, sees great potential: “This new way of recycling offers opportuni- ties for innovative business models for us and our customers, who al- ready place great value on prod- ucts and packaging made from recycled materials but who cannot or do not want to make any com- Dr. Andreas Kicherer and Dr. Stefan Gräter talk about the different types of plastic waste and their recycling