NextChem’s depolymerisation plant will boost PET recycling
08/04/2022
The plant is located in Chieti, in the Abruzzo Technology Park.
The depolymerization technology, based on the reaction of alkaline hydrolysis with the use of microwaves, allows the plant to chemically recycle PET and polyester textile fibre waste and obtain pure monomers to produce new polymers.
The DEMETO project has been co-funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 program with NextChem as coordinator of a consortium of 14 partners (NextChem, 3V Tech, SPINDOX UK, Technical University of Denmark, The European Outdoor Group, EuPC, The Fricke and Mallah GmbH, gr3n, H&M Group, NEOGROUP, RECUPRENDA, PETCIA, SUPSI and Synesis).
NextChem is the developer and co-licensor of the depolymerization technology, owned by the Swiss start-up gr3n, as well as designer and constructor of the plant. Various types of materials, including polyester-based textile fibres, will be tested in the plant, which is capable of recycling almost 100% of the incoming material, amounting to one million kg/year.
The project has been supported by an Industrial advisory board, which includes companies such as Unilever, Coca-Cola, Oviesse, Danone, Henkel and several others.
NextChem CEO Pierroberto Folgiero said: "We are very proud to have built this plant, the first of its kind in Italy and among the first in Europe, particularly at a time when national systems for the collection and recycling of textile waste are beginning to be created, in Italy and in other European countries, in order to comply with legislation.
“We are convinced this technology can contribute to improve a circular economy model on an industrial scale.”
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