Honeywell and TotalEnergies Enter Partnership to Convert Non-recyclable Plastic into Sustainable Packaging

A Brief Summary

TotalEnergies and Honeywell entered an agreement to transform non-recyclable plastic waste into sustainable packaging. As per the agreement, TotalEnergies agrees to purchase Honeywell's new Recycled Polymer Feedstock and convert the raw materials into virgin-quality polymers. This technology can be used in various applications, such as flexible and rigid food-grade packaging containers and other products. TotalEnergies will start manufacturing the polymers in its European-based production unit.

Read Full Article Below

Honeywell, in November last year, launched a new recycling technology. It enlarges the type of plastics that can be recycled to 90% when used with other mechanical recycling and chemical processes and helps in hundreds of cycles of recycling. The technology is also capable of producing recycled feedstock used to manufacture plastics with 57% fewer emissions than plastics manufactured from fossil fuel feeds.

UpCycle, on the other hand, uses molecular conversion, heat-activated decomposition, and contaminants management technology to transform waste plastic into its proprietary feedstock that can be used to make new plastics. Under the technology, plastic wastes such as unrecycled, coloured, flexible, multilayered packaging and polystyrene are processed.

Honeywell and Sacyr will produce the feedstock at a jointly owned factory unit in Spain. The plant is estimated to convert around 30,000 metric tons of mixed waste plastics annually. The production is likely to begin in 2023.

More than 300 million tonnes of plastic waste come out every year. The new agreement between TotalEnergies and Honeywell will help address the menace of plastic waste and build a sustainable economy. In April last year, Honeywell pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035. Meanwhile, TotalEnergies vowed to go carbon neutral by 2050.

Valerie Goff, Senior Vice President, Polymers at TotalEnergies, said: “We are pleased to partner with Honeywell to tackle the issue of plastic waste through the development of advanced plastic recycling, and thereby the circular economy, one of the pillars of sustainable development. This project…will contribute to meeting our ambition of producing 30% recycled and renewable polymers by 2030.

Ben Owens, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Sustainable Technology solutions, added: “Plastics demand will continue to grow, so it’s critical to create a linkage between waste management and plastics production to strengthen a circular flow of plastics. The relationship with TotalEnergies will provide a strong recycled polymer feedstock offtake partner and coupled with our recently announced advanced recycling plant with Sacyr, Honeywell is leading the drive toward a more circular plastics economy.”