TotalEnergies & Plastic Energy move Spain closer to a circular economy
TotalEnergies and Plastic Energy have teamed up to build an advanced plastic recycling project in Seville, Spain to provide virgin-grade polymers for use in food packaging.
The plant is expected to begin operations in 2025 and could process as much as 33,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually and will go alongside Plastic Energy's existing recycling facilities in Spain.
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As plastic waste continues to amass in the world's oceans and in landfills, the challenge of tackling the mounting threat has become one of the foremost issues at the heart of dealing with the climate crisis. There is currently a plastic island, dubbed the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch", roughly the size of Mongolia in the Pacific Ocean.
According to one study, around 14 million tonnes of plastic waste enters the world's oceans per year. 300 million tonnes is produced annually, on average.
Plastic waste that is disposed of is often sent to developing nations and incinerated, a major cause of air pollution.
Both companies hope this new plant will bring the nation one step closer to the circular economy.
“I am pleased to announce another new Plastic Energy plant in Spain, and a new collaboration agreement between our two businesses", said Carlos Monreal, founder and CEO of Plastic Energy.
“This new large-scale recycling plant will be an impactful addition to our existing portfolio of operational plants in Spain and will allow for an increase in the number of end-of-life plastics that we can recycle in Europe".
Both companies announced a joint venture back in 2020 detailing the construction of a plastics conversion plant in France, with a target output of 15,000 tonnes annually, which is expected to be operational in 2023.
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Another project is planned for the US, according to Valérie Goff, TotalEnergies' Senior Vice President for Polymers.
"These projects contribute to addressing the challenge of the circular economy and to our ambition of producing 30% recycled and renewable polymers by 2030", she added.
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