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This is advanced chemical recycling, the first project at industrial scale in South America, promoted by the companies Pyrcom, Esenttia and Ecopetrol, which Carvajal wants to introduce and implement in Valle del Cauca.
Cali, April 24, 2024. Significant reduction in plastic pollution and new economic income for professional recyclers are some of the benefits provided by advanced chemical recycling, an innovative waste management model that is positioning itself worldwide as a viable and scalable alternative in terms of circular economy.
The initiative allows elements that traditionally ended up in landfills to now create new high-quality and circular plastic products. This has been possible since 2023 thanks to the research, development and execution work of companies committed to finding solutions to the challenges of the circular economy.
The company Pyrcom converts waste into pyrolysis oil; the Ecopetrol Group, through the Barrancabermeja Refinery, is in charge of processing this non-fossil material and producing green propylene, and its subsidiary Esenttia transforms that propylene into circular polypropylene to finally be reused by different companies in new products.
Now, this alliance is joined by Carvajal Empaques, which produces packaging solutions that make people's lives easier; and through it, professional recycling organizations from Valle del Cauca join in.
Since 2023, this revolutionary alternative is possible thanks to the research, development and implementation work carried out by companies committed to finding solutions to the challenges of the circular economy: the company Pyrcom, which converts waste into pyrolysis oil; the Barrancabermeja Refinery, which is the first in Latin America to process non-fossil material to produce circular propylene; and Esenttia, which transforms that propylene into circular polypropylene, used by different companies like Carvajal for the production of food packaging.
"For Esenttia, advanced chemical recycling is a fundamental, complementary step in synergy with our mechanical recycling plant that is starting operations in Tocancipa, to continue making our higher purpose of 'transforming and being transformed for sustainability' a reality. These projects are a milestone in Latin America, because they allow us to make the plastic cycle infinite and virtuous, taking advantage of those materials that are more complex to recycle, while improving the quality of all links in the production chain." This is how Juan Diego Mejia, president of Esenttia, expressed it.
Chemical recycling plants use as main input complex elements that are difficult to recycle by traditional methods, such as containers and flexible packaging, plastic bags, cups, plates, "disposable" food containers (single-use), oil bottles, automotive parts, among others, mainly made of polypropylene and polyethylene. Polystyrene is also accepted, such as trays and packaging filler, but in smaller quantities. With this project, the goal is to receive the largest amount of this type of waste, thereby generating greater benefits for the environment and professional recyclers.
Otto Schott, general manager of Pyrcom, stated: "with the launch of this initiative, we are advancing in the collection of a wider range of waste, including those that are difficult to separate due to contamination or their composition with multiple layers of different materials, and therefore end up in landfills."
In the medium term, it is expected to consolidate a value chain that uses this type of circular resins for its applications, managing to increase the production of recycled material in the future, while achieving the recovery of ecosystems and environments.
Learn more: Advanced Chemical Recycling
About Carvajal Empaques
Carvajal Empaques is a multilatin company belonging to the Carvajal Organization with a 120-year track record of transforming lives. Carvajal Empaques is present in people's lives, reaching different food packaging markets, developed with a sustainable and environmentally responsible vision.
About Esenttia
Esenttia, a Colombian company dedicated to Transforming and Being Transformed for sustainability, through the production and commercialization of 100% recyclable and recycled plastic resins for the plastics industry. It is one of the country's leading exporting companies (Analdex, ProColombia), one of the safest industries in Colombia (Colombian Safety Council), one of the best places to work in Colombia (Great Place To Work) and one of the most innovative companies in the country (ANDI, Dinero).
Media Relations:
Carvajal Empaques: Catalina Balanta catalina@libretapersonal.com
Esenttia: Stephanie Gomez stephanie.gomez@esenttia.co
