♻️🌱 Plastics Processing and Recycling - Rolbatch Academy - Webinars & Online Trainings

Asking "mechanical or chemical recycling?" puts the debate on the wrong level. No single technology is suitable for every polymer and every waste stream. Mechanical recycling generally preserves the greatest value in clean, homogeneous materials. Dissolution, depolymerisation, pyrolysis and gasification have different mechanisms, input requirements and real material yields. What matters is not the declared yield of oil or pellets, but how much waste actually returns to new polymer production, with what energy demand and product quality. These technologies should complement one another, not compete for the same feedstock.

By 2030, chemical recycling will become a key pillar of Europe’s circular economy. The importance of pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) and PET/PA depolymerisation will increase. The market will require standardised pyrolysis-oil quality and full integration with refineries. Regulatory duties will expand, covering mass balance, material audits and minimum recycled-content levels. Companies preparing early will gain a clear competitive advantage.

Chemical recycling succeeds or fails based on feedstock quality, not technology alone. It determines process stability, product quality, and profitability. Many companies wrongly assume that any waste stream is suitable, yet composition and variability can radically change outcomes. Feedstock assessment is a strategic first step and the foundation for any viable chemical-recycling project.

The July 2025 EU act sets a new framework for chemical recycling.
It introduces mandatory mass balance, strict rules for allocating recycled content, external audits, and the “fuel-use excluded” principle. Regulations will expand to more sectors by 2030. Companies must ensure feedstock quality, documentation and compliance systems. Early adaptation creates competitive advantage.