Germany-based Revalyu Resources announced a $200 million investment to build its first polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling facility in the United States. The plant, to be located at the Gateway Regional Park in Statesboro, Georgia, will have a processing capacity of 90,000 metric tons of post-consumer PET per year and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025.
Revalyu will use its glycolysis chemical recycling technology to depolymerise PET. The company operates a PET recycling facility in India, where it has already recycled over 6 billion bottles into recycled PET (rPET). Revalyu says its rPET pellets have similar properties to virgin PET, whilst reportedly using 75% less water and 91% less energy in its production process.
“Used PET plastic can now be efficiently, profitably and easily recycled again and again without degradation of quality,” said Dr. Vivek Tandon, Founder of revalyu, presumably contrasting chemical recycling of PET with mechanical recycling, that cannot at present take place more than once or twice before polymer chains become too short and feeble.
Revalyu currently sells 100% rPET pellets and filament yarns to over 60 customers in over 15 countries. In 2021, Heraeus Group acquired a majority stake in the company.