Advancing Recycling’s Role in a Circular Economy

Plastic is one of the world’s most ubiquitous and diverse material classes. To successfully build a circular system for plastics, we must take a multi-pronged approach.

Molecular recycling technologies represent just one solution within the full arsenal of waste mitigation strategies, including reduction, reuse and refill systems, and mechanical recycling, among others. 

Molecular recycling, sometimes known as “advanced” or “chemical” recycling, is a diverse sector that encompasses dozens of technologies that use solvents, heat, enzymes and even sound waves to purify or break down plastic waste to its original building blocks. These technologies, collectively, can expand the scope of materials we can recycle, tackling a wide range of contaminated plastic waste and bridging the gap between the supply and demand for high-quality recycled plastics.

Under the right conditions, molecular recycling has the potential to support downstream material recovery, and stakeholders must be diligent in analyzing the nuances of the risk-reward profile of each technology, ensuring that they support those that maximize value creation, sustainability and circularity at the local level.  

Closed Loop Partners continues to conduct research on this early-stage sector. We are committed to supporting data-backed decision-making to demystify novel solutions, go deeper into unanswered questions and conduct the appropriate diligence required to avoid unintended consequences.