Circular economy: Agilyx expands recycling to include POs
US environmental technology firm Agilyx says its circular plastic recycling capabilities have expanded to include feedstock for crackers useful in producing ethylene and propylene building blocks of virgin plastics. Its new product expands the amount of waste mixed plastics, to include polyethylene and polypropylene, that can be diverted from landfill, further driving the circular economy for plastics and polymers.
This achievement – enabling production of new plastic from waste plastic – is an efficient circular method for manufacturing feedstocks used for the production of polymers and brings a durable carbon cycle within commercial reach.
“This expansion of our production capabilities is a significant step in addressing environmental issues associated from the evolving plastics industry,” said Joe Vaillancourt, Agilyx’s CEO. “Agilyx has spent many years combining a differentiated technology, demonstrating deep expertise in the chemical characterisation and conversion of a wide variety of waste plastics and polymers into a broad set of fuels and chemical substrates. The company has made significant strides in producing a lower carbon footprint set of products and creating advancements to economic circular solutions. We are eager to provide sustainable and economic alternatives to the petrochemical industry and our growing set of strategic partners.”
Based on 14 years of research, waste plastic materials management, and commercial operations, Agilyx has developed a broad set of new chemical recycling pathways for waste plastics to produce fuels and chemical substrates. Its products have an average of 40-70% lower carbon footprint than traditional manufacturing for the same products. From its initial commercial product – a TSCA-registered synthetic crude produced from a broad range of difficult-to-recycle mixed waste plastics – Agilyx expanded its technical platform to produce styrene oil.
Agilyx subsequently built the first commercial-scale facility capable of recycling otherwise non-recyclable polystyrene (PS) waste into a styrene monomer appropriate for manufacturing virgin PS products. This was a significant step for Agilyx, as it created a true circular pathway for plastics otherwise destined for landfills.
Agilyx is working with waste service providers, municipalities, refiners, and private and public enterprises to develop closed-loop industrial solutions for mixed waste plastics.