How to Assess Feedstock for Chemical Recycling?

of Dr. Magdalena Laabs November 13, 2025

Feedstock quality directly determines the success, stability and profitability of chemical recycling processes.

How to Assess Feedstock for Chemical Recycling? This is one of the most important questions, yet also one of the least understood in the industry.

Chemical recycling has been described for several years as a breakthrough technology.

However, the truth that is still not emphasized enough is:
chemical recycling is only as good as the feedstock that enters the process.

It is the assessment of the waste-stream quality that determines:

process stability,
product quality (oil, monomer),
operating costs,
project profitability,
ability to meet EU requirements (fuel-use excluded, mass balance),
and even the possibility of continuous plant operation.

In practice, many companies either do not know how to assess feedstock properly or apply an approach taken from mechanical recycling – which leads to incorrect decisions and financial losses.

Chemical recycling attracts chemical companies, the petrochemical sector and the waste industry because it enables the utilisation of streams that have no economic value in mechanical recycling.
Yet regardless of the chosen technology, the success of the entire process is determined by the feedstock entering the installation.

The characteristics of the input material influence:

stability of reaction parameters,
quality of obtained fractions,
real operating costs,
material yield,
risk of plant shutdown.

For many companies, feedstock assessment remains the least understood area.
Below is a strategic perspective. Companies needing an analysis tailored to their own operations may use Rolbatch’s customised courses and reports, defined individually based on the client’s needs.

1. Why Is Feedstock Assessment Critical?

In chemical recycling projects, feedstock assessment plays not only a technical role but, above all, a strategic decision-making one.
Correct identification of the input material determines whether the project can be executed or whether it will end at the conceptual stage.

Feedstock assessment allows companies to determine:

whether a given stream qualifies for chemical recycling,
which technology can be applied and which must be excluded,
what type of final product can realistically be obtained,
what requirements must be met by the waste-management partner,
which additional costs will arise from feedstock preparation.

Differences between streams that appear similar may lead to completely different process outcomes.
Therefore, feedstock assessment is the first stage that determines the entire direction of the project – from selecting the technology to defining the investment scale and anticipated business model.

2. What Should a Company Know Before Selecting a Technology?

Technology does not define feedstock.
Feedstock defines the technology.

The nature of the input material determines whether a given process route is even technically feasible.

Companies should take into account:

diversity of waste streams and their different process suitability,
risk of misclassification, which can disqualify a project at the start,
market-value variations depending on composition,
limitations of mixed fractions,
EU requirements for transparency and process accountability.

This is strategic knowledge, essential for investment decisions.

3. The Most Common Incorrect Assumptions Made by Companies

In practice, several recurring mistakes can be observed:

believing that pyrolysis can handle any waste,
treating chemical-recycling feedstock like mechanical-recycling streams,
focusing only on the polymer type, ignoring additives and contaminants,
assuming that the waste stream is stable,
postponing feedstock assessment to later stages.

Such assumptions often result in higher costs, lower product quality, and operational issues.

4. Why Do Companies Contact Rolbatch?

Companies reach out to us because they need:

objective evaluation of their waste-stream potential,
strategic insight into technological and economic feasibility,
understanding how EU regulations affect chemical-recycling outputs,
support in defining project scope and selecting the right direction.

Rolbatch prepares specialised courses and tailored reports – each adapted to the waste type, technology and business goals of the client.
The scope is defined jointly so that it fits the real needs of technical or decision-making teams.
Training is delivered online in 14 available languages.

5. What Topics Do Rolbatch Courses and Reports Develop in Depth?

The scope depends on the client’s needs but usually includes:

criteria for feedstock assessment for specific technologies,
fundamentals of chemical and physical analysis of streams,
impact of material composition on product and process stability,
evaluation of stream variability over time,
feedstock preparation according to process requirements,
cost analysis resulting from feedstock specifics,
review of common project challenges.

These topics require adaptation to each individual company, which is why we prepare them as online courses or individual reports.

Summary

Feedstock assessment is one of the most critical stages of any chemical recycling project.
It determines process stability, product quality, and overall investment profitability.

Rolbatch supports companies in building expertise – from identifying waste-stream potential and analysing available technologies to preparing customised courses and decision-support reports.