INEOS and Recuro Plan Advanced Plastic Recycling Facility in Norway

INEOS and Norwegian recycling company Recuro have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop an advanced plastic recycling facility at INEOS’ Bamble polymer site, supporting the production of recycled feedstocks for Europe’s packaging industry.

The proposed facility, named Full Circle, is designed to process up to 33,000 metric tonnes of end-of-life plastic waste annually. The companies said the project will help expand the supply of recycled raw materials needed to meet recycled-content requirements under the European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

The plant will be integrated into INEOS’existing industrial complex at Bamble, making use of established infrastructure, utilities and land to reduce both investment costs and the environmental footprint associated with new construction. According to the partners, the project is intended to demonstrate how advanced recycling can be incorporated into existing petrochemical operations.

The facility will use pyrolysis technology to convert mixed plastic waste into recycled hydrocarbon feedstocks. Unlike processes that use by-product gases for energy recovery, the Full Circle project is designed to retain both the oil and gas fractions generated during recycling, allowing them to be reused as feedstocks for new chemical production and maximizing carbon recovery.

The recycled feedstock will be supplied to INEOS’ Rafnes steam cracker, where it will be converted into recycled ethylene before being used at the nearby Bamble polymer plant to manufacture virgin-quality recycled polyethylene suitable for demanding applications, including food-contact and medical packaging.

The project will be powered entirely by renewable electricity generated in Norway, with the partners stating that the facility is being designed to operate with low greenhouse gas emissions while supporting higher recycling rates for plastics that are difficult to recycle mechanically.

Arve Jakobsen, Chief Executive Officer of Recuro, said the project combines existing industrial infrastructure with advanced recycling technology to maximize resource recovery and keep carbon contained within the plastics value chain. He added that the initiative marks an important step in Recuro's strategy to expand its role in the European plastics recycling sector.

The project has received support from Innovation Norway and involves technology partner Vixla. Recuro said the collaboration demonstrates the role of partnerships between industry, technology providers and government in advancing commercial-scale recycling infrastructure.

Liz Rittweger, Chief Executive Officer of INEOS Olefins & Polymers Europe, said advanced recycling will play an increasingly important role in producing recycled plastics for high-performance applications. She also called for clear and harmonized regulations that recognize advanced recycling outputs and provide greater certainty for long-term investment in recycling technologies.

Source: INEOS

SUNSHINE Spotlight: By integrating advanced recycling with existing petrochemical infrastructure, the INEOS–Recuro project aims to expand Europe’s supply of high-quality recycled plastics while supporting compliance with the EU's evolving packaging regulations.