Viridor called for essential policy changes to make advanced plastics recycling investable, stating that current market conditions in the European Union and the UK do not support investment at the pace or scale required.
Advanced plastics recycling can play an important role in the circular economy. It can help process hard-to-recycle plastics that cannot be recycled through conventional mechanical methods, turning them back into usable material, including for food and medical-grade applications, reducing waste and cutting the need for new production.
Since acquiring the Quantafuel platform, Viridor has achieved dry yields of 70-75% at its Skive Plastics-to-Liquids plant in Denmark, supported by improved operations and development project costs, and increased line availability and overall utilization. The high performing operation has also proven the ability to successfully recycle contaminated household plastics.
In the EU and the UK, plastics recycling markets are under significant pressure. Demand for recycled material has weakened, while cheaper virgin materials continue to undercut recycled alternatives. At the same time, policy and regulation in both markets are not creating the certainty, enforcement or long-term support needed to unlock investment at scale.
Viridor is calling for essential policy action to help create a commercially viable market for advanced plastics recycling, including:
Stronger measures to ensure European plastic waste is recycled in Europe, rather than being undercut by cheaper virgin plastics, imported materials or weaker enforcement.
Clear, enforceable recycled-content requirements in the EU and the UK, with confirmed timelines and meaningful consequences for non-compliance, so businesses have confidence that demand for recycled materials will materialise from 2030 and can invest accordingly.
Quick implementation of harmonised & consistent end-of-waste rules across Europe and the UK for chemically recycled plastics.
Lee Hodder, Managing Director, Carbon Capture and Circular Solutions at Viridor, said:
“Advanced plastics recycling matters. It tackles a problem most people don’t see, but that everyone lives with.
“A significant share of plastic can’t be recycled through conventional methods. Instead, it is sent for energy recovery, sent to landfill, or exported overseas, increasing emissions and reinforcing reliance on making new plastic from fossil fuels.
“We are extremely proud of the operational advances made across Quantafuel and the progress made. The team has been extremely dedicated, operated the Skive plant at high standards and always found solutions to keep improving the technology to where it is today. The technology works. At Skive, we have achieved yields of up to 75%, far beyond the 30% many expected in the early days.
“But the problem is the broader business reality. Waste and recycling markets are shaped by policy: when governments create clear, stable incentives and properly enforced rules, markets respond and investment follows. When they don’t, the system defaults to the cheapest option available. Today, that is making new plastic from virgin feedstock.
“That is why Viridor is calling for essential policy changes to make advanced plastics recycling investable.
“It is also why, after careful consideration, we are proposing to cease our European chemical recycling operations. No final decisions will be made until any required local consultation and negotiation processes have concluded, and our priority is first and foremost to engage with and support our colleagues throughout this process.”
Should Viridor cease its chemical recycling operations, this would have no impact on the day-to-day operations of Resource Denmark’s mechanical Recycling and Decarbonisation business, which continues to perform and scale.
Source: viridor.co.uk
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