The Orlando, Florida-based PureCycle Technologies plans to build its first polypropylene (PP) recycling facility in the rapidly expanding NextGen District of the Belgian port city of Antwerp-Bruges.

The new plant's initial annual capacity will be 59,000 metric tons, but there will be room for growth as the 14-hectare site may accommodate up to four processing lines, with a total expected annual capacity of about 240,000 metric tons.

In order to secure a final project timeline by mid-2023, the company is currently working on sourcing feedstock and financial planning. After the permitting procedure is finished, which is currently anticipated to be in 2024, construction of the plant is anticipated to start.

A recent concessionaire contract was given to PureCycle as part of the Antwerp-Bruges NextGen District's open competition for enterprises looking to develop the circular economy.

Wiebe Schipper, vice president of PureCycle's European operations, said that they’re thrilled to provide their ultra-pure recycled (UPR) resin to customers in Europe, where companies and policies are at the forefront of the circular economy.Being in the NextGen District will allow them to take advantage of current synergies, work with other pioneers in the field, and create new alliances. They would like to express their gratitude to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges for supporting this initiative and supporting our objective.

When the first processing line's construction is finished, PureCycle anticipates starting commercial operations at its new European site. The company is already in active negotiations with possible feedstock and offtake partners. During the project's initial phase, it is anticipated that the new PP purification factory will generate 65 to 70 new jobs for locals.

Jan Jambon, Minister-President of Flanders, said that PureCycle selected Flanders as the preferable location within the EU indicating that it is among the world leaders in garbage collecting and processing. The purifying technique developed by PureCycle will significantly improve the sustainability of plastics and change the game for the circular economy.

PureCycle is actively boosting its production capacity and expanding globally. Its first PP recycling plant in Asia is currently scheduled to open in 2025, and the company's flagship recycling plant in Ironton, Ohio, is anticipated to begin producing pellets in the first quarter of 2023.

The business is the exclusive global licensee of Procter & Gamble's (P&G) proprietary solvent-driven purification recycling technology, which turns waste polypropylene plastic into a continually renewable resource. The waste is put through a special purification process to eliminate color, odor, and other contaminants, creating the UPR, which may be recycled and used repeatedly.