PureCycle Technologies and Mitsui & Co. Ltd. have signed heads of agreement (HOA) to develop and operate a polypropylene recycling plant in Japan. The agreement follows up on the MOU signed by the companies last September.
Once completed, the new plant will have an annual capacity of 59,000 metric tons, transforming PP waste into ultra-pure recycled (UPR) resin using PureCycle’s patented, proprietary technology. That technology can remove virtually all contaminants, colours and odours from PP plastic waste, recycling this into a resin that can be used multiple times.
The companies are targeting the completion of the plant in 2026.
Calling the HOA a major step forward in bringing a true circular solution to Japan for polypropylene plastic waste, PureCycle CEO Dustin Olson said the companies were now looking at the final options for site locations.
These are located between major population and industrial centres, ‘so we can optimise supply chain activities for both feed and product’, he explained.
“We believe this site will become a strategic sustainable supply location for critical Japanese industries like automotive, electronics, and consumer product companies.”
For MItsui, the new joint project with PureCycle will allow it to contribute to the overall reduction of plastic waste and the establishment of a circular economy in Japan, in line with its Corporate Strategy which identifies sustainability management and the evolution of ESG' as key areas, said Performance Materials Business Unit at Mitsui COO, Hiroshi Kakiuchi.
Japan is just one of the regions in which PureCycle is currently active. In keeping with its global growth strategy, the company is also constructing its first polypropylene recycling facility in Europe at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges' Next Gen District in Belgium, while its first PP recycling plant in Asia is planned to open in 2025 in South Korea.