Chemical recycling of waste plastics is a technology that breaks down discarded plastics into basic chemical raw materials (such as monomers, oils, and gases) through chemical reactions, which are then used to synthesize new plastics or chemical products. Unlike traditional physical recycling (e.g., melting and reshaping), it operates at the molecular level, achieving a true “plastic-to-plastic” closed-loop cycle.
Plastic waste disposal has long been an environmental challenge. Chemical recycling, as an innovative approach, is emerging as a key global solution to tackle plastic pollution and advance the circular economy. Compared to physical recycling, its core advantages include:
- High-value Utilization and Broad Material Adaptability
Chemical recycling decomposes waste plastics into monomers or oils via pyrolysis or depolymerization. The output matches the quality of petroleum-based plastics, enabling reuse in high-value sectors like food packaging and pharmaceuticals. This achieves “same-level regeneration” or even “upgraded regeneration.” For example, mixed low-value plastics (e.g., PP, PE, PS) can be converted into ethylene and propylene through pyrolysis, forming a closed-loop industrial chain. This technology is particularly effective for soft packaging, multi-layer composites, and contaminated plastics—materials difficult for physical recycling—thereby boosting resource efficiency.
- Significant Environmental Benefits
Chemical recycling reduces the environmental harm caused by landfilling and incineration. Studies estimate that achieving a 30% global chemical recycling rate for waste plastics by 2035 could cut annual CO2 emissions by 93 million tons, equivalent to saving 450 million tons of petroleum resources.
- Enhancing Energy and Resource Security
Waste plastics are seen as “urban oil fields.” Chemical recycling can replace part of the demand for fossil fuels. For instance, if China chemically recycles 50% of its landfilled plastic waste, it would equate to tapping a 60-million-ton oil field, significantly reducing reliance on imported crude oil.
Current chemical recycling technologies mainly include pyrolysis and depolymerization. Pyrolysis, the most commercially mature method, decomposes plastics under high temperatures in oxygen-free conditions to produce pyrolysis oil and gas. It is suitable for mixed plastics. Chinese companies like Niutech have achieved large-scale applications, with equipment handling over 10,000 tons annually. As a leader in this field, Niutech has demonstrated global technological prowess through its self-developed continuous industrial pyrolysis technology, converting plastics into fuel.
Niutech’s 7th-generation intelligent pyrolysis production line incorporates patented technologies such as non-coking, thermal dispersion, and flue gas waste heat recovery. These innovations address traditional issues like high energy consumption and severe coking, ensuring high-purity pyrolysis oil at low processing costs. The system handles complex materials like low-value mixed plastics and medical waste, producing pyrolysis oil that can be refined into naphtha for new plastic manufacturing.
Niutech’s projects operate across Europe, East Asia, and China. For example, its Denmark’s waste plastic pyrolysis project, backed by chemical giant BASF, sources raw materials from local waste stations and recycling agencies. The pyrolysis oil produced is processed into plastic feedstock, enabling true circularity.
In China, Niutech’s pyrolysis technology powers the nation’s largest single-unit demonstration project, recovering fuel oil and restored soil. Its equipment, certified by EU CE and German TÜV standards, has been exported to dozens of countries, including the U.S., U.K., and Germany, advancing global plastic pollution control.
Chemical recycling of waste plastics is not just a revolutionary environmental solution but a strategic shift in global resource utilization. Pioneers like Niutech prove that through technology empowerment and industrial collaboration, “white pollution” can be transformed into “urban oil fields,” driving a green revolution.