Attero and SABIC enter cooperation for supply of post-consumer recycled feedstock to drive plastics circularity at Chemelot. The Netherlands

Attero, a European pioneer in plastics sorting and recycling, and SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, have signed a memorandum of understanding to join forces and develop advanced plastic recycling solutions.

Attero and SABIC intend to develop a long-term cooperation to bring post-consumer plastic that today are being turned into energy, back into the value chain and help fast-moving consumer good (FMGC) companies with their ambition to apply recycled content in their applications and contribute to EU objectives on recycled materials content.

Attero operates the world’s largest post-separation plant that sorts plastic waste from municipal solid waste for recycling in Wijster, The Netherlands. The used plastics are sorted in Attero’s Packaging Sorting Plant into up to ten different streams. Attero is well experienced when it comes to flaking and washing of plastic streams for high quality recycling. Attero intends to expand its post-sorting capabilities to its location in Moerdijk, The Netherlands. Plastics that would otherwise be processed in Attero’s energy-from-waste facility will instead be post-separated with smart technologies and prepared as feedstock for advanced recycling, closing the loop on used plastics.

SABIC is committed to accelerate the circular carbon economy with its ambition to process one million metric tons (1000kt) of TRUCIRCLE™ solutions annually by 2030. Under this cooperation, SABIC will source used sorted plastic from Attero and convert it into pyrolysis oil using advanced recycling processes. The pyrolysis oil will then be processed in a newly built hydrotreater in Geleen, Netherlands, where it will be upgraded and used by SABIC as an alternative feedstock to naphtha to produce their flagship certified circular polymers, part of the company’s TRUCIRCLE™ portfolio.

“SABIC is committed to cooperate across the value chain in order to accelerate the transformation toward a circular economy for plastics, as evidenced by this promising new agreement with Attero”, said Sanjay Mishra, General Manager, Engineering Thermoplastics & Performance Polymers at SABIC. “SABIC is proud to keep building momentum in driving circularity as shown by our world-first commercial advanced recycling unit, now in the final stages of construction in Geleen, The Netherlands”.  

Paul Ganzeboom, CEO of Attero stated: “Attero is committed to be at the forefront of circular economy and further decarbonize its operations in waste-to-materials and waste-to-energy. Municipalities and companies for whom we process their residual waste on our locations in Wijster and Moerdijk will benefit from the most sustainable processing available in the market. We welcome this strategic partnership with SABIC as an important step in adding value to circular packaging and reducing carbon emissions”.

Attero and SABIC will closely work together in this cooperation to jointly develop the business case for this optimized circular plastics supply chain.