Under global plastic pollution and carbon neutrality goals, traditional physical recycling shows limits. Chemical recycling—a game-changing tech—turns waste plastics into fuel, raw materials, or recycled plastics, offering a key solution to pollution and waste.
1. Advantages & Strategic Value of Chemical Recycling
1.1 Solving Low-Value Plastic Waste
Physical recycling only works for pure, single-material plastics (like PET bottles). But 46% of waste plastics—like soft packaging and mixed films—are often buried or burned due to sorting challenges. Chemical recycling (using pyrolysis, catalytic pyrolysis, etc.) breaks down dirty, mixed plastics into oils or raw materials. For example, Niutech’s continuous pyrolysis tech handles medical waste and ocean plastics, making fuel oil and solid fuel.
1.2 Environmental & Economic Benefits
Lower emissions: Recycling 100,000 tons of waste plastics cuts CO₂ by 290,000 tons—50% less than burning.
Resource savings: In China, recycling half of 43 million tons of buried/burned plastics yearly equals a “city oil field” of 60 million tons, saving 108 million tons of oil.
Market demand: Pyrolysis oil sells 10-15% cheaper than crude oil. Recycled plastics meet brands’ eco-packaging needs.
1.3 Boosting Circular Economy & Policy Goals
EU’s packaging rules now require recycled content in exported products. China’s latest five-year plan lists chemical recycling as a key tech, supported by green policies.
2. Niutech: Tech Leadership & Global Reach
2.1 Core Tech & Real-World Use
With 30+ years in pyrolysis, Niutech’s industrial-scale systems solve industry challenges like efficiency and product quality. Its tech won China’s top science award and holds EU CE/German TÜV certifications.
Denmark project: Recycles 20,000 tons of waste plastics yearly. Pyrolysis oil goes to BASF for new plastics.
Medical waste: China’s first continuous system to sterilize and recycle medical waste into oil.
2.2 Industry Impact
In June 2020, Niutech joined Sinopec, PetroChina, BASF, ExxonMobil, and 16 others to launch China’s first Chemical Recycling Research Group. The team published China’s inaugural White Paper on Chemical Recycling of Waste Plastics, filling a key research gap.
Chemical recycling isn’t just eco-friendly—it’s vital for energy security and industrial growth. Niutech leads the shift from “waste disposal” to “resource recovery.” Looking ahead, as policy support intensifies and technology costs decline, chemical recycling is poised to emerge as a trillion market by 2035, injecting new momentum into the global plastics circular economy.