• Plastic Energy has successfully commercialised ‘char’, a byproduct of its chemical recycling process.
• The new product, called TACFILLER, acts as a sustainable replacement for carbon black, with its production resulting in 89% less carbon emissions
• The breakthrough comes as pressure on the rubber industry’s use of conventional alternative produces 29-79 million metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions globally each year.

07 October 2025, London, United Kingdom – Plastic Energy, a global leader in chemical recycling, is believed to be the first plastic chemical recycling company to commercialise ‘char’, a byproduct of its TAC chemical recycling process, under the name TACFILLER.

The breakthrough product offers a lower-carbon, circular alternative to carbon black, an unsustainable material used primarily in rubber manufacturing to improve rubber properties.

This milestone comes as the rubber industry faces growing pressure to reduce emissions and comply with regulations such as the EU’s End-of-Life Vehicles Directive – which mandates higher recycled content and reduced environmental impact in motor vehicle components.

TACFILLER presents a scalable and sustainable solution. It is the first product of its kind to be REACH registered (a regulation that applies to the majority of chemical substances that are manufactured in or imported into Great Britain) and, acting as a direct replacement for carbon black, would help the rubber industry to significantly reduce its emissions and meet recycled content targets.

Carbon black is added to rubber to increase its durability. However, its production from fossil fuels is emissions-intensive, contributing between 29-79 million metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions globally each year.1

TACFILLER, by contrast, is made from post-consumer plastic waste, reducing reliance on virgin fossil fuels. Plastic Energy conducted a Life Cycle Assessment on TACFILLER and found that its production results in up to 89% lower emissions than conventional carbon black.

TACFILLER is derived from Plastic Energy’s proprietary TAC^TM chemical recycling process, which converts hard-to-recycle, post-consumer plastic waste into TACOIL^TM, a recycled feedstock used to replace fossil oils in the production of new plastics. This process diverts plastic from landfill and incineration, reducing waste, and cutting emissions by up to 78% compared to incineration. The inclusion of TACFILLER brings Plastic Energy’s potential total recycling rate up to almost 90%, further enhancing the circularity of its process.

TACFILLER jet-milled to a sub 10-micron scale

Ian Temperton, Chief Executive Officer of Plastic Energy, said:

“Carbon black is energy intensive, and the rubber industry needs alternatives. We’re proud to lead our industry by creating new circular products from plastic waste. Less than 10% of plastic is recycled globally, yet it’s a valuable resource that should be reused.

Our technology allows us to reduce plastic waste sent to incineration and landfill by finding sustainable uses for it in the manufacture of new plastic—and now rubber. We are offering a pioneering product that is both better for the environment and commercially viable.”

Plastic Energy is currently working with several leading manufacturers, including Standard Profil, to ensure TACFILLER is fully compatible to be integrated into their products.

Yusuf Güner, Group R&D Materials Senior Expert at Standard Profil, said:

“We boldly explored the use of TACFILLER to partially replace carbon black in our products. After a series of rigorous trials, we have validated its feasibility and are encouraged by the results. This opens exciting possibilities for future applications, which we continue to evaluate with curiosity and care.”

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For media enquiries, please contact:

Molly Melville, Senior Associate, Apella Advisors

Mobile: +44 7749 735631

Email: plasticenergy@apellaadvisors.com

 

Statistical Information

1 Rosner, F. Bhagde, T. Slaughter, D.S. Zorba, V. Stokes-Draut, J. ‘Techno-economic and carbon dioxide emission assessment of carbon black production’, Journal of Cleaner Production, December 2023, available here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.140224

 

About Plastic Energy

Plastic Energy is a global leader in chemical recycling, offering a sustainable solution to help prevent plastic waste, transforming previously unrecyclable plastic waste into a valuable resource. Our patented and proven TAC chemical recycling technology converts end-of-life plastic waste into an optimal feedstock (TACOIL) for making virgin-quality recycled plastics. Plastic Energy currently has two chemical recycling plants that are in constant operation in Spain and is one of the few companies worldwide that has sold recycled oils from the conversion of end-of-life plastic waste to replace fossil oils in the manufacturing of new plastics. We are leading our field in the transition to a low-carbon circular economy for plastics.

Learn more on our website, and follow us on Linkedin.

• SABIC Plastic Energy Advanced Recycling (SPEAR), the joint venture recycling plant by Plastic Energy and SABIC in Geleen, the Netherlands, has produced its first pyrolysis oil, known as TACOIL.
• TACOIL is made from hard-to-recycle post-consumer plastic waste that would otherwise be lost to landfill or incineration.
• This milestone marks another step on the facility’s journey to full commercial production expected to begin later this year

London, 27 August 2025 – Plastic Energy, a global leader in chemical recycling, has announced the production of its first batch of TACOIL at its joint venture plant with SABIC in Geleen, the Netherlands. This marks a key milestone on the road to full commercial operations.

TACOIL is made from hard-to-recycle post-consumer plastic waste that would otherwise be incinerated or sent to landfill. It serves as a replacement for conventional naphtha in existing petrochemical plants, enabling the manufacture of food-contact packaging, medical-grade plastics and other high-quality products. The polymers produced at the plant will significantly increase commercial volumes of circular polymers which have been used by brand owners in a variety of consumer and packaging products since 2019.

Plastic Energy’s patented TAC chemical recycling process breaks down mixed plastic waste using heat in an oxygen-free environment. Once fully operational, the plant will recycle 20,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year.

The technology, already proven at industrial scale at Plastic Energy’s plants in Spain, is designed to plug directly into the existing plastics value chain. Less than 30% of Europe’s 32 million tonnes of plastic waste is currently recycled.¹ The SPEAR facility, which is set to be the first example of a third-party chemical recycling technology being integrated into an existing petrochemical facility, will help support and enable the EU’s goal under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) for all packaging to be fully recyclable by 2030.

Ian Temperton, Chief Executive Officer of Plastic Energy, said:

“Producing our first TACOIL at SPEAR is a major step forward for the plastic recycling industry. It underscores the capabilities of Plastic Energy’s technology, the robustness of our process and the dedication of our excellent team. We value the collaboration with our project partner SABIC and are proud to have achieved this milestone together.

“Recycling plastic waste into new plastics is critical to building a circular economy — and that’s exactly what this plant delivers. It boosts recycling rates, helps reduce CO2 emissions by diverting used plastic from incineration, and shows what’s possible when innovation meets scale.”

This project is being executed with a Top Sector Energy Subsidy from the Ministry of Economic Affairs in the Netherlands.

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For media enquiries, please contact:

Molly Melville, Senior Associate, Apella Advisors

Mobile: +44 7749 735631

Email: plasticenergy@apellaadvisors.com

 

Statistical Information

1 European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency, ‘LIFE tackling Europe’s plastic problem’, December 2024, available here: https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/news-events/news/life-tackling-europes-plastic-problem-2024-12-02_en

About Plastic Energy

Plastic Energy is a global leader in chemical recycling, offering a sustainable solution to help prevent plastic waste, transforming previously unrecyclable plastic waste into a valuable resource. Our patented and proven TAC chemical recycling technology converts end-of-life plastic waste into an optimal feedstock (TACOIL) for making virgin-quality recycled plastics. Plastic Energy currently has two chemical recycling plants that are in constant operation in Spain and is one of the few companies worldwide that has sold recycled oils from the conversion of end-of-life plastic waste to replace fossil oils in the manufacturing of new plastics. We are leading our field in the transition to a low-carbon circular economy for plastics.

Learn more on our website, and follow us on Linkedin.

Plastic Energy’s chemical recycling plant in Seville, Spain

London, 23 January 2025 – New research has found recycling plastics, using Plastic Energy’s proprietary technology, currently saves up to 78% CO2 eq. compared to incineration with energy recovery.*

These figures can increase to 89% with grid decarbonisation.**

The results are part of the company’s latest Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)*** study, out today, completed by the climate change consultancy Sphera and commissioned by Plastic Energy.

It compares emissions created throughout the lifecycle of hard-to-recycle plastics in different scenarios, including recycling using Plastic Energy’s technology.

These findings build on the company’s first LCA released in 2020.

Plastic Energy’s Head of Policy and Sustainability Adela Putinelu said, “sharing this second LCA is an important milestone for both Plastic Energy, and the chemical recycling industry.

“Being able to properly quantify the environmental impact of our technology, underscores the benefit it provides to emissions, circularity and waste reduction of hard-to-recycle plastics.”

Plastic Energy’s TAC recycling process takes end of life post-consumer flexible plastic packaging, destined for incineration or landfill, and creates a recycled oil called TACOIL.

This recycled oil goes on to replace fossil oils in the production of new plastics.

In this way, it can be viewed both as a waste reduction technology and a production process for creating new raw materials.

“This study demonstrates the possibility of our TAC process as a well-established chemical recycling technology producing a valuable alternative feedstock for the chemical industry, as well as serving as a novel waste management pathway,” Putinelu said.

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Appendix

* Incineration with energy recovery is currently the business-as-usual method for flexible plastics waste disposal across Europe.

**100% renewable electricity scenario (EU).

*** LCA is also known as Life Cycle Analysis, but Sphera uses ‘Life Cycle Assessment’ in this report, so this term will be used throughout.

 

The executive summary is available to download here.

 

About Plastic Energy

Plastic Energy is a global leader in chemical recycling, offering a sustainable solution to help prevent plastic waste, transforming previously unrecyclable plastic waste into a valuable resource. Our patented and proven TAC chemical recycling technology converts end-of-life plastic waste into an optimal feedstock (TACOIL) for making virgin-quality recycled plastics. Plastic Energy currently has two chemical recycling plants that are in constant operation in Spain and is one of the few companies worldwide that has sold recycled oils from the conversion of end-of-life plastic waste to replace fossil oils in the manufacturing of new plastics. We are leading our field in the transition to a low-carbon circular economy for plastics.

Learn more on our website, and follow us on Linkedin.

Press inquiries: press@plasticenergy.com

As the third round of talks get underway for a UN Global Plastics Treaty, how can countries help to turn the tide on plastic pollution? Our Head of Policy and Sustainability Adela Putinelu explains why the plastics treaty is an important milestone – and what Plastic Energy is doing to fight plastic waste.

 

Why is the plastics treaty so important? 

Plastic pollution is a global, multi-faceted problem, and as such, it requires global solutions. For the first time since the landmark Paris agreement, all UN countries are coming together to agree a new international treaty to reduce plastic pollution. 

INC 3, the third meeting currently taking place in Nairobi, Kenya to agree the scope of the treaty is moving the multilateral discussions into an important phase of the negotiations as countries will review the draft text of the treaty for the first time. Two other meetings next year will take place with a goal to finalise the scope of the treaty by the end of next year.  

 

How will the treaty help to tackle the global plastic waste crisis?

The UN plastics treaty will be a critical tool in the fight against plastic waste. It promotes global cooperation between all countries to reduce plastic pollution with the aim to establish legally binding rules across the entire plastics lifecycle. While huge disparities exist between countries related to plastics production, consumption and end-of-life management, the emphasis must be on wealthier countries to improve their own waste management infrastructure and incentivize sustainable consumption and production as well as efficient waste management. This will then influence the way other countries adopt these models and make them fit for their own production and consumption patterns. The treaty will be influential in harmonising global rules to apply to all countries. 

 

What are the most important elements that should be considered as part of the global treaty?  

It’s important to strike the right balance between upstream and downstream policies. Upstream policies include more sustainable production and manufacturing processes including design for recyclability, innovation and waste prevention. The business case for re-use also needs to be incentivised to reduce waste generation. 

Downstream policies include better collection, sorting and recycling of plastic waste through a combination of several technologies including mechanical and chemical recycling. Chemical recycling plays an important role alongside mechanical recycling, however, a mix of both upstream and downstream policies need to be considered. 

Other important policies such as the establishment of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, mandatory recycled content targets in plastic products and taxes on virgin plastics should be a priority for the treaty negotiations. 

In Europe, mandatory recycled content targets and virgin plastic taxes are being introduced to increase the amount of recycled plastics in packaging and automotive sectors. The goal is to reduce the use of virgin plastic in the manufacture of new products and make the best use of waste as a resource. 

Plastic Energy supports a combination of complementary policy instruments and solutions to provide strong incentives and create the conditions needed for the establishment of a secondary materials market and a truly circular plastics economy. 

Collaborative action across the entire value chain to support the implementation of measures sits at the core of tackling the plastic waste crisis and ensuring an effective treaty.  

 

What is Plastic Energy doing to combat plastic pollution?

Plastic Energy is a global leader in chemical recycling, offering a sustainable solution to help reduce plastic waste. Our patented chemical recycling technology converts end-of-life plastic waste into an optimal feedstock (TACOIL), which replaces fossil oils in the manufacturing of new plastics. 

We recycle plastic waste that is not mechanically recycled and would otherwise end up in landfills, incineration or leaking into the environment to help pave the way towards a circular economy for plastic waste. 

Plastic Energy has partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders in the supply chain, working with companies and brands to incorporate recycled content into their products. We have an ever-growing portfolio of packaging products commercialised on the European market with recycled content from our process. This demonstrates that chemical recycling works alongside mechanical recycling and we are working to expand our chemical recycling technology globally. 

From left: Ying Staton, Plastic Energy VP Asia/Chief Sustainability Officer; Carlos Monreal, Plastic Energy CEO; Yaacob Salim, PCG Head of Strategic Planning & Ventures; and Sharifah Zarina Syed Hashim, PCG Head of Corporate Investment, Governance & Services; at the signing ceremony.

• PCG reaches FID for the construction of an advanced chemical recycling plant in Pengerang, Johor, targeted to be operational by first half of 2026.
• The plant will use Plastic Energy’s patented technology to convert end-of-life plastics into pyrolysis oil, which can be used for the creation of recycled plastics.

Kuala Lumpur, 09 October 2023 – PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad (PCG), has reached the final investment decision (FID) to construct Asia’s largest advanced chemical recycling plant with a capacity of 33 kilo-tonnes per annum (ktpa). The plant which will be located in Pengerang, Johor, is targeted to be operational by the first half of 2026.

The FID announcement also saw the signing of the Technology License Agreement (TLA) between PCG’s subsidiary and Plastic Energy Limited (Plastic Energy) and awarding of the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) to Mutiara Etnik Sdn. Bhd.

As part of PCG’s New Plastics Economy agenda to support the transition towards a circular economy and contribute to a sustainable plastics ecosystem, the plant will unlock plastics waste chemical recycling capabilities in Malaysia through the conversion of end-of-life plastics into pyrolysis oil or TACOIL, which can be used as chemical feedstock towards the production of sustainable plastics.

“Through the advanced chemical recycling plant, we envision driving innovation across the plastics value chain while creating opportunities for all parties, from waste collectors to manufacturers, to jointly contribute to the circular plastics economy. This enables us to propel the nation’s aspiration in phasing out single-use plastics, in line with Malaysia’s Plastic Sustainability Roadmap 2021-2030, while fulfilling the growing demand from major brands for sustainable packaging,” said PCG Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer Ir. Mohd Yusri Mohamed Yusof.

Plastic Energy will be providing the chemical recycling technology for the plant through its patented TAC process, which heats mixed post-consumer plastic waste in the absence of oxygen. This process then produces hydrocarbon vapours, that are condensed into pyrolysis oil or TACOIL which can be used as a substitute for hydrocarbon feedstock in the production of food-grade recycled plastics.

“After starting our collaboration with PCG back in 2019, we are pleased to be chosen as the technology provider for their new chemical recycling plant in Malaysia. Together we share a common goal to reduce plastic pollution in Asia by increasing the amount of plastic waste that can be recycled, and expanding recycling infrastructure in the region,” said Carlos Monreal, Chief Executive Officer of Plastic Energy.

“We are excited to be the EPC partner for this groundbreaking project by PCG. We have always been committed to excellence in every project we undertake, and we will ensure that this plant will meet PCG’s expectations,” said Datuk Surendran Menon, Managing Director of Mutiara Etnik.

The advanced chemical recycling plant will benefit Malaysia’s plastics value chain beyond closing the loop of the plastics life cycle by creating an ecosystem that promotes the transition to a circular economy.

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About Mutiara Etnik Sdn. Bhd.

MUTIARA ETNIK is an EPCC Contractor with ISO certification and CIDB Grade 7 registration to undertake Civil Engineering Construction, Building Construction and Mechanical works projects. Our vision is to be the leader in providing green solution through sustainable and path setting initiatives. We specialize in waste-to-energy systems, material handling, port equipment, recycling, recovery, renewable energy, building and infrastructure projects. The company is actively aligning its business with ESG commitments and supporting decarbonization strategies to accomplish its sustainability goals. Our comprehensive project approach ensures feasibility and cost efficiency at every stage.

For more information, please visit https://www.mutiaraetnik.com

Press inquiries: admin@mutiaraetnik.com

 

About Plastic Energy

Plastic Energy is a global leader in chemical recycling, offering a sustainable solution to help prevent plastic waste, transforming previously unrecyclable plastic waste into a valuable resource. Our patented and proven chemical recycling technology converts end-of-life plastic waste into an optimal feedstock (TACOIL) for making virgin-quality recycled plastics. Plastic Energy currently has two chemical recycling plants that are in constant operation in Spain and is one of the few companies worldwide that has sold TACOIL from the conversion of end-of-life plastic waste to replace fossil oils in the manufacturing of new plastics. We are leading our field in the transition to a low-carbon circular economy for plastics.

Learn more on our website, and follow us on Twitter and Linkedin.

Press inquiries: press@plasticenergy.com

 

About PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad

PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad (PCG) is the leading integrated chemicals producer in Malaysia and one of the largest in Southeast Asia. It operates a number of world-class production sites in Malaysia, Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America. With a total combined production capacity of 15.4 million metric tons per annum (mtpa), it is involved primarily in manufacturing, marketing and selling a diversified range of chemical products, including olefins, polymers, fertilisers, methanol, other basic chemicals, derivative products and specialty chemicals.

Listed on Bursa Malaysia with more than three decades of experience in the chemicals industry, PCG is established as part of the PETRONAS Group to maximise value from Malaysia’s natural gas resources.

PCG is committed to ensuring that its business practices are in line with globally recognised standards for Economic, Environment, Social & Governance (EESG) practices. It is currently listed in the FTSE4Good Bursa Malaysia (F4GBM) Index and the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index.

Further details on PCG can be found at www.petronaschemicals.com.my

For more information, please contact:

Yogeswari Thangavelu

Media Relations, Strategic Communications & Administration Department

PETRONAS CHEMICALS GROUP BERHAD (PCG)

M : (6) 017 2000919

E : yogeswari.thangavel@petronas.com

Loughborough, 30 August 2023 – Plastic Energy, global leader in chemical recycling technology, has commissioned a new pilot plant in its research & development labs in Loughborough University Science & Enterprise Park (LUSEP) in the UK.

The new state of the art pilot plant will be used to further develop and optimise Plastic Energy’s unique chemical recycling technology, by testing our output, called TACOIL, and improving the quality of the final product. Plastic Energy has been based at the University of Loughborough for over a decade and opened new labs in November last year. Plastic Energy’s research & development labs act as an important catalyst in the scale up of Plastic Energy’s projects from the laboratory to commercial scale.

The pilot plant, which will use Plastic Energy’s patented recycling technology, will follow the same TAC process which is used at its larger plants. Plastic waste is heated in the absence of oxygen and converted into TACOIL, which is used as a replacement for fossil oils in the creation of new plastics. Having the ability to make adjustments within the pilot plant will make it easier to optimise the efficiency and design of Plastic Energy’s new projects going forward.

David McNamara, Chief Technology Officer at Plastic Energy, said:

“Commissioning our first ever pilot plant at our R&D labs in Loughborough is an important milestone for the company, As Plastic Energy continues to expand globally, the pilot plant will be instrumental in helping Plastic Energy to test new feedstocks, further scale up its process and optimise our chemical recycling technology.” 

In parallel, Plastic Energy has also been leading work on a digital twin of the pilot plant, helping the team to gather data on the performance of recycling plants currently under construction.

Geleen, 11 July 2023 – In another significant contribution towards the development of a circular economy for plastics, SABIC and Plastic Energy have established a collaboration with Siemer and Landbell for sorting and pre-treatment of mixed and used post-consumer plastic to be processed in their advanced recycling unit in Geleen, The Netherlands which is in the final stages of construction.

In this collaboration, SABIC, a global leader in diversified chemicals, and partner Plastic Energy, a pioneer in chemical plastics recycling, will receive pre-sorted and treated plastic waste supply from Siemer’s newly built sorting plant in Vechta, Lower Saxony, Germany. The Siemer plant is supplied by Landbell AG.

Innovative plant significantly increases sorting residues for recycling

Siemer’s unique processing plant in Vechta is a former sorting plant for light packaging that has been overhauled and redesigned for the pioneering purpose of recovering recyclable materials from previously non-recyclable or hard-to-recyclable post-consumer plastic waste. Following the overhaul, it now re-sorts the fraction of plastic packaging waste classified as low-grade using newly combined technologies and prepares it for advanced recycling.

The sorting plant, is the first of its kind that can separate dirt, foreign matter and impurities from the remaining plastic fractions and has an input capacity of 25,000 tonnes per year.

Once reprocessed, the plastic waste will be delivered to SABIC and Plastic Energy advanced recycling unit, where its will be converted into pyrolysis oil, called TACOIL, using Plastics Energy’s advanced recycling technology. The TACOIL will then be treated in a newly built SABIC hydrotreater plant, to be subsequently used as alternative feedstock by SABIC to produce their flagship certified circular polymers, part of the company’s TRUCIRCLE portfolio.

Collaboration driving the path to circularity

Advanced recycling is an essential and complementary solution to traditional recycling processes and can take typically hard to recycle types of plastic waste.  Factors such as access to high quality volumes of used plastics are crucial for advanced recycling to be implemented globally.

SABIC, Plastic Energy, Siemer and Landbell are among the first players in the circular economy to bring together feedstock streams, technology and know-how to scale-up advanced recycling operations. In doing so, the collaboration is creating the conditions toward a moreclosed loop model for post-consumer plastic.

“We have created a unique collaboration from different points in the value chain,” says Rutger Bosch, Global Circular Economy Leader at SABIC. “We have demonstrated how to reinvent our business model by bringing together experienced operational partners that historically would not have worked together. Siemer convinced us with its quick action and rapid progress in the technical implementation. And Landbell secures the future expansion of our plant operations. With this new approach, we hope to show that closed loop projects have the potential to capture the value and bring back used plastic into new material streams”

“Through the use of our advanced recycling technology, we are making great strides in building the circular economy in the Netherlands, and globally,” says Carlos Monreal, Founder and CEO of Plastic Energy. “This collaboration with Siemer and Landbell is important to the success of our joint recycling plant with SABIC in Geleen, providing optimal feedstock to be used in our recycling process.”

“By optimally combining our capabilities, we ensure progress in the resource-saving use of plastics,” says Manfred Bruns, Managing Director of A. Siemer – Entsorgungs GmbH. “We are on the way to one hundred percent recycling. Strategic collaborations like this one are necessary to drive this forward-looking development of the circular economy. As a one-hundred-year-old family business, we are proud to contribute a small but fundamental part to this modern process.”

Uwe Echteler, member of the board of Landbell and COO of the DACH region, focuses on offering customer-specific recycling options and optimising the cycle for chemical re-cycling up to a closed product loop: “As a ‘first mover’, we are faced with the exciting task of finding the optimal composition of material streams for pyrolysis. We want to make a real contribution to resource conservation and with this project we can gain the necessary insights and offer initial product documentation.”

Both the planning and development of the processing plant in Vechta and the strategic linking of the players involved to create an economically attractive and resource-saving cycle were carried out by the operational consultancy Source One. In this loop, which is the precursor to a closed product loop, Source One was able to contribute its three core competences of consultancy, development and procurement to create added value for each individual company in the new strategic collaboration.

“We are very proud to have brought together the players involved and connected them through the development of a technological bridge,” says Kai Hoyer, Managing Director of Source One. “It was exciting to put a new technical concept on top of the conditions of an old sorting plant. The particular challenge was the short time frame in which we upgraded the existing plant. Now we look forward to further advancing the circular economy with similarly effective and sustainable solutions.”

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

SABIC

Lindsay Clarkmead – Lindsay.clarkmead@sabic.com

PLASTIC ENERGY

Susan Fitzsimons – press@plasticenergy.com

 

ABOUT SABIC

SABIC is a global diversified chemicals company, headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The company has more than 31,000 employees worldwide and operates in around 50 countries. It manufactures on a global scale in the Middle East, Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific, making distinctly different kinds of products: chemicals, commodity and high-performance plastics, agri-nutrients and metals. Fostering innovation and a spirit of ingenuity, SABIC has 9,948 patents and pending applications, and has significant research resources with innovation hubs in key geographies around the world. SABIC supports its customers by identifying and developing opportunities in key end-use applications such as construction, medical devices, packaging, agri-nutrients, electrical and electronics, transportation, and clean energy.

Visit www.sabic.com

 

ABOUT PLASTIC ENERGY

Plastic Energy is a global leader in chemical recycling, offering a sustainable solution to help prevent plastic waste, transforming previously unrecyclable plastic waste into a valuable resource. Our patented and proven chemical recycling technology converts end-of-life plastic waste into an optimal feedstock (TACOIL) for making virgin-quality recycled plastics. Plastic Energy currently has two chemical recycling plants that are in constant operation in Spain and is one of the few companies worldwide that has sold recycled oils from the conversion of end-of-life plastic waste to replace fossil oils in the manufacturing of new plastics. We are leading our field in the transition to a low-carbon circular economy for plastics.

Learn more at www.plasticenergy.com.

 

ABOUT SIEMER

Siemer – Entsorgungs GmbH has been collecting residual and recyclable waste in the district of Vechta for more than one hundred years. The Lower Saxon family business was founded in 1920 by August Siemer and today operates 70 operational vehicles. In addition to waste disposal and customised waste technology concepts, the services of the third generation also include area and street cleaning as well as sink cleaning, container services and municipal waste collection. A haulage company, the innovative sorting plant and the recyclables trade complete Siemer’s modern portfolio of waste disposal and cleanliness services. The traditional company employs around 90 people in the region. Find out more at www.siemer-vechta.de.

 

ABOUT LANDBELL

Landbell Group is an international provider of comprehensive take-back, consulting and software solutions for environmental and chemical compliance. Landbell was founded in 1995 as a waste management company in Germany and has since developed into a glob-al service provider. Today, Landbell operates take-back/collection systems for various waste streams in 13 countries worldwide, supports over 38,000 customers in more than 60 countries in fulfilling extended producer responsibility and collected over 760,000 tonnes of batteries, e-waste and packaging in 2020. Landbell AG, specifically in Germany, operates a certified and independent dual system for manufacturers and retailers to meet their legal requirements. Visit www.landbell-group.com.

 

ABOUT SOURCE ONE

Source One is an operational consulting company in environmental, resource and sus-tainability issues. With a holistic approach, innovative technologies and measurable re-sults, Source One closes material cycles – with maximum ecological and economic effi-ciency. Source One thus acts as a global interface between the players along the entire value chain of the circular economy. Since 2019, Source One has been successfully im-plementing circular economy solutions, waste management and recycling projects for brand manufacturers, producers, retailers, municipalities, governments and consumers in more than 20 countries. Take a look at www.s-one.de.

This International Women in Engineering Day, we want to celebrate the outstanding achievements of female engineers across the world. Despite efforts to encourage women and girls to take up careers in engineering, women are still heavily underrepresented in this field. In the UK, just 16.5% of engineers are women.

We speak to María, an engineer working at our plant in Seville, who tells us about what inspired her to become an engineer, and why representation is important.

Why did you decide to become an engineer?

I’ve always loved science and consider myself a very curious person. After graduating with a Physics degree from the University of Seville, I began working for Plastic Energy in 2022 as a trainee student at their advanced recycling plant in Seville. I started as a shift leader, and now, I’m a Process Engineer. Thanks to the Operational Readiness department, who helped me during my training, and the team at the plant, I have made a big leap in my career in the engineering field.

What’s your day-to-day job like at Plastic Energy?

Each day when I arrive at the plant, I visit the control room and quality assurance department. Here, I work alongside my team to make important decisions about the conditions and operations of the plant. I also work on an OMS manual, related to all the departments involved in operating the plant, to make sure it runs smoothly.

What actions do you take to keep everyone in the workplace safe?

We have a strong Health and Safety Culture at Plastic Energy, both across our offices and our recycling plants. Everyone in the team has a responsibility to keep each other safe.

We conduct regular safety walks at the plant to identify possible risks, then take action to mitigate these. Following operational procedures is a simple and effective way to reduce the probability of accidents, which is really important in our field of work.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job? What’s the biggest challenge?

What I enjoy the most about my work is the focus on making the plant as efficient as possible, both in terms of the production of our TACOIL (our feedstock used to create new plastics) and the quality of our product. To achieve this, I try to anticipate possible blockages, or quality issues considering different process variables, and I now have a lot of practice in order to perfect this process. I would say achieving this is also my biggest challenge, which makes it all the more rewarding!

What more can be done to encourage women to take up careers in engineering?

In my opinion, female role models are so important. If women and girls see visible examples of successful female engineers, they can envision their future selves – and be inspired to take on careers in male-dominated fields.

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