Net zero emissions and net zero waste should be viewed as interconnected if we are to meet our climate goals.
Countries are making clear commitments to cut emissions in line with the Paris agreement and ahead of COP26 – the global climate summit this Autumn.
In the run up to COP26 this November, there has been a clear, concerted effort by countries from across the planet to set ambitious climate targets. So far, 124 nations have made pledges to reach net zero emissions.
The new Biden administration has made climate a key priority, rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement and targeting a 50-52% reduction in emissions by 2030. Other global players like China and the EU have also recently raised their ambition to match the urgency of the situation.
The scale of the challenge means that it would be nearly impossible for the world to meet these targets unless business takes a leading role in driving forward the circular economy.
Many of the biggest players are starting to do their part. We’ve seen strong commitments from household names such as Unilever, BP and BlackRock, as well as 21% of the world’s 2,000 largest companies – representing $14 trillion in sales – all setting net zero targets.
However, despite commitments, it is clear more change is needed.
Despite these commitments, more is needed if we will have any hope of keeping within the 1.5C target set in the Paris Agreement. With 2023 on track to see the highest CO2 emissions in modern history, we cannot rely on just doing more of the same, we need to think differently and more creatively on how we can reduce our emissions.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – the world’s leading body of climate experts – has warned such an acceleration would put the Paris target all but out of reach. This warning should be a ‘code red’ for us all – governments, businesses and consumers alike – to act.
Even more worryingly, as we’ve seen from the forest fires and flooding in recent weeks, reliance on single solutions such as carbon offsets and tree planting has done very little to change the trajectory of global warming. While these solutions are a good start, we need to implement bigger changes across all industries if we are going to have any real impact.
Forbes has said that the best time to innovate is during times of crisis. Now is the time for businesses to break out of their comfort zones and find new solutions to meet the growing demands for goods and products. For us as business leaders, it is as much about being smart with the materials we use as it is reaching for the technologies of the future.
Companies need to think more widely about how they can reduce their emissions, beyond what their current goals pledge to achieve.
Companies are often focused on their gas and emissions levels, and this is understandable given the discussion around the impact they have on the environment. However, they should not only focus on direct emissions and energy use. Consideration must be given to the resourcing of products, their lifespan and the end of use processing of them.
Here, a crucial concept is to recognize the link between net zero emissions and net zero waste, a core part of our ethos at Agilyx. In short, what this means is rethinking how we create and use plastic products to scale up recycling from the 10% we see now, to 90% in the future.
The environmental difference between the use of virgin plastics and recycled plastics is substantial. In the case of Agilyx’s depolymerization technology, a recent life cycle analysis has shown a 75% CO2 emissions savings in comparison to the production of virgin raw materials and incineration.
Chemical recycling decreases the need to extract virgin resources from forests, oil reserves and mines to create new products and packaging. This in turn means that less energy is consumed in the manufacturing, transporting and packaging of products.
By treating plastic waste as the valuable commodity that it is and reusing it to make new, high-quality goods, we can not only stop it from littering our environment but save a huge amount of CO2emissions in the process. This action, as a part of a broader shift toward net zero emissions and combined with other creative solutions can help us build a more sustainable world.
Authored by
Tim Stedman, CEO Agilyx
Mr. Stedman has nearly 30 years of experience in the chemical industry covering plastics, elastomers and basic chemicals, such as olefins. He has held positions in operations, sales and marketing, global supply chains, business leadership as well as strategy and corporate development.
PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire, USA, September 21, 2021 – Cyclyx International, a consortium-based plastic feedstock management company with a mission to increase the recycling rate of plastics, has announced that Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (“Casella”), a regional solid waste, recycling and resource management services company, has joined as a founding member. In addition, Paul Ligon, Casella’s senior vice president of sustainable growth, will join Cyclyx’s executive advisory board.
Casella is a leader in the recycling industry. Plastics collected on Casella’s residential collection routes and processed at its recycling facilities are sold to North American markets. The recycled plastics are then used as raw materials to make new products. The company has a proven track record of recycling plastics, while also finding viable end markets for difficult to recycle materials such as plastic bags. The integration of Casella’s expertise with the Cyclyx model provides an excellent opportunity to drive significant additional plastics recovery over time.
As a founding member of the Cyclyx consortium, Casella joins an ever expanding list of companies across the plastic value chain dedicated to the mission of increasing the recycling rate of plastic from 10% to 90%. They will seek to achieve this mission through various programs aimed at the collection, aggregation and chemical characterization of waste plastic as well as the creation of feedstock recipes developed through machine learning and predictive modeling to meet the specific needs of their customers.
“Casella has been enabling sustainability through partnerships with companies and communities across the U.S. for more than 40 years,” said Casella chairman and CEO John W. Casella. “We feel that our broad expertise in developing economically and environmentally sustainable solutions for recycling and resource management has us uniquely positioned to help the Cyclyx consortium achieve its goals while supporting the needs of our customers.”
“We are very excited to welcome Casella to the consortium and Paul to the executive advisory board,” stated Joe Vaillancourt, CEO of Cyclyx. “Casella’s proven experience and long history of innovation in the waste and recycling industry aligns with our mission and will significantly add to our efforts to increase the recycling rate of plastic from 10% to 90%.”
Contacts
Kate Ringier
Agilyx VP, Communications & Government Affairs
+ 41 43 883 0396
kate.ringier@agilyx.com
Joseph Fusco
Casella Vice President
(802) 772-2247
joe.fusco@casella.com
About Cyclyx International, LLC.
Cyclyx International, LLC. (“Cyclyx”) is a post-use plastic feedstock management company working with industry participants to develop innovative recycling solutions for all types of post-use plastics. The company’s mission is to increase the recycling rate of plastics from 10% to 90% by using Cyclyx’s expertise in understanding the chemical composition of post-use plastic in collaboration with industry partners to create a new, innovative supply chain. Cyclyx was founded by Agilyx Corporation (“Agilyx”), a leader in advanced chemical recycling, together with ExxonMobil Chemical Company, one of the largest chemical companies in the world. Cyclyx has been formed to be a consortium-based entity and since its founding there have been a growing number of companies joining its membership. For more information, visit us at www.cyclyx.com.
About Casella Waste Systems, Inc.
Casella Waste Systems, Inc., headquartered in Rutland, Vermont, provides integrated solid waste management services consisting of collection, transfer, disposal, and recycling services in the northeastern United States. For further information, visit the company’s website at www.casella.com.
- First Cyclyx member representing the life sciences industry
- Membership demonstrates collaboration to develop innovative recycling solutions for post-use plastics
PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire, USA, September 17, 2021 – Cyclyx International, a consortium-based feedstock management company with a mission to increase the recycling rate of plastic from 10% to 90%, has announced MilliporeSigma has joined the consortium as the newest founding member. MilliporeSigma is the U.S. life science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company and supplier to the global life science industry.
MilliporeSigma, the first Cyclyx member representing the life science industry, integrates a focus on sustainability throughout all phases of the product life cycle to continuously introduce innovation in the form of greener product alternatives, more sustainable packaging and distribution, and expanded recycling and reuse programs. MilliporeSigma has worked together with customers and the waste management industry to provide a first-of-its kind single-stream recycling program for Biopharma single-use technologies, resulting in more than 6,500 tons recycled since 2015.
As a member of the consortium, MilliporeSigma will extend its leadership and expertise in sustainability while continuing to build a more circular economy for its products. In addition, MilliporeSigma will take an active role in helping Cyclyx to expand its programs by having Jacqueline Hollands, global manager of product recycling and innovation for MilliporeSigma, serve on the Cyclyx executive advisory board.
“We are pleased to welcome MilliporeSigma as our newest founding member and to have Ms. Hollands lend her expertise to the executive advisory board,” stated Joe Vaillancourt, CEO of Cyclyx. “As the consortium expands to new sectors, counting industry leaders such as MilliporeSigma among our members demonstrates that the benefit of our programs stretches across the value chain. These new memberships are critical in driving the success of our mission to increase recycling rates from 10% to 90%.”
“MilliporeSigma collaborates with our customers and the waste management industry to provide first-of-its-kind recycling programs, and we are excited to continue this important work as a founding member of Cyclyx,” said Jeffrey Whitford, Head of Sustainability and Social Business Innovation at the life science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. “Finding high-value uses for materials, including those that come from recycling programs, is key not only for us, but for our customers in the life science industry. Tapping into Cyclcx’s capability to create programs that drive single-use plastics from the life science industry back into the value chain will go a long way to helping solve some of the world’s most difficult challenges.”
Contacts
Kate Ringier
Cyclyx
VP, Communications & Government Affairs
+41 78 822 7770
kate.ringier@agilyx.com
About Cyclyx International, LLC.
Cyclyx International, LLC. (“Cyclyx”) is a post-use plastic feedstock management company working with industry participants to develop innovative recycling solutions for all types of post-use plastics. The company’s mission is to help increase the recycling rate of plastics from 10% to 90% by using Cyclyx’s expertise in understanding the chemical composition of post-use plastic in collaboration with industry partners to create a new, innovative supply chain. Cyclyx was founded by Agilyx Corporation (“Agilyx”), a leader in advanced chemical recycling, together with ExxonMobil Chemical Company, one of the largest chemical companies in the world. Cyclyx has been formed to be a consortium-based entity and since its founding there have been a growing number of companies joining its membership. For more information, visit us at www.cyclyx.com.
About the Life Science Business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
The Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, which operates as MilliporeSigma in the U.S. and Canada, has some 22,000 employees and 59 manufacturing sites worldwide, with a portfolio of more than 300,000 products focused on scientific discovery, biomanufacturing, and testing services.
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, operates across healthcare, life science, and electronics. Around 58,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene-editing technologies and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2020, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany generated sales of € 17.5 billion in 66 countries.
The company holds the global rights to the name and trademark “Merck” internationally. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany operate as EMD Serono in healthcare, MilliporeSigma in life science, and EMD Electronics. Since its founding in 1668, scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to the company’s technological and scientific advances. To this day, the founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. For more information about Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, visit www.emdgroup.com.
PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire, USA, September 16, 2021 – Cyclyx International, a consortium-based plastic feedstock management company with a mission to increase the recycling rate of plastic from 10% to 90%, and Sonoco (NYSE: SON), one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, have announced that Sonoco has become a member of the Cyclyx consortium.
Sonoco’s mission is to create sustainable packaging solutions that help build their customers’ brands, enhance the quality of their products and improve the quality of life for people around the world. With this in mind, Sonoco has pledged to recycle, or cause to be recycled, 85% equivalent by weight of the products that they are putting into the marketplace. In addition, Sonoco has pledged to ensure that 75% of its global rigid plastic packaging is capable of making the relevant on-package recyclable claim. By joining Cyclyx, Sonoco will gain access to a range of services that will help it to deliver on these pledges, including design and execution of programs to help facilitate increased collections and recycling rates for difficult post-consumer plastics streams.Sonoco supports its sustainability goals with a commitment to vertical integration and a hands-on recycling infrastructure under its subsidiary, Sonoco Recycling. Operating and continually improving its network of materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and services in the U.S. enables Sonoco Recycling to offer comprehensive end-of-life solutions for post-use plastic. Through its Sonoco Sustainability Solutions (S3) consulting platform, Sonoco Recycling provides businesses with customized waste reduction programs designed to decrease waste materials going to landfills, reduce environmental impacts and increase sustainability efforts. “Joining Cyclyx represents another step forward in our journey to lead the world’s transition to sustainable packaging solutions,” said Elizabeth Rhue, staff vice president of sustainability at Sonoco. “We are pleased to work with Cyclyx to drive increased recycling of previously difficult to recycle plastics.”
“We’re happy to welcome Sonoco to the consortium,” stated Joe Vaillancourt, CEO of Cyclyx. “With their commitment to sustainability and their innovative programs designed to help brands achieve landfill-free status, Sonoco’s membership will help to advance our mission to increase plastic recycling rates from 10% to 90%”
Contacts
Cyclyx
Kate Ringier
VP, Communications & Government Affairs
+ 41 43 883 0396
kate.ringier@agilyx.com
Sonoco
Roger Schrum
VP, Investor Relations & Corporate Affairs
+1 843 339 6018
roger.schrum@sonoco.com
About Cyclyx International, LLC.
Cyclyx International, LLC. (“Cyclyx”) is a post-use plastic feedstock management company working with industry participants to develop innovative recycling solutions for all types of post-use plastics. The company’s mission is to help increase the recycling rate of plastics from 10% to 90% by using Cyclyx’s expertise in understanding the chemical composition of post-use plastic in collaboration with industry partners to create a new, innovative supply chain. Cyclyx was founded by Agilyx Corporation (“Agilyx”), a leader in advanced chemical recycling, together with ExxonMobil Chemical Company, one of the largest chemical companies in the world. Cyclyx has been formed to be a consortium-based entity and since its founding there have been a growing number of companies joining its membership. For more information, visit us at www.cyclyx.com.
About Sonoco
Founded in 1899, Sonoco (NYSE: SON) is a global provider of consumer, industrial, healthcare and protective packaging. With annual net sales of approximately $5.2 billion, the Company has 19,000 employees working in approximately 300 operations in 34 countries, serving some of the world’s best known brands in some 85 nations. Sonoco is committed to creating sustainable products, services and programs for our customers, employees and communities that support our corporate purpose of Better Packaging. Better Life. The Company was listed as one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies for 2021 as well as being included in Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies for the third year in a row. For more information, visit www.sonoco.com.
New executive advisory board members bring valuable sustainability experience to support company’s mission to help increase recycling rate of post-use plastic
PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire, USA, September 2, 2021 – Cyclyx International, a consortium-based plastic feedstock management company with a mission to increase the recycling rates of post-use plastic from 10% to 90%, today announced the addition of three new members to its Executive Advisory Board (EAB).
Dr. Ron Abbott is sustainability technology manager at Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPChem). Dr. Abbott is responsible for developing technology required to advance long term global sustainability objectives, which includes leading CPChem’s advanced recycling program. Prior to assuming this role in 2018, Abbott served as the Planning and Strategy Manager in the Corporate Planning and Development group where he oversaw the strategic planning process for CPChem.
Ricardo Cuetos is vice president Standard Products Americas at INEOS Styrolution America LLC. Mr. Cuetos brings more than 25 years of experience in the plastics and petrochemical industries across North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America and is committed to improving and increasing the recovery of post-consumer polystyrene waste.
Dr. Ganesh Nagarajan is the associate director for Polymer Business Development & Projects at LyondellBasell and is responsible for developing circular economy initiatives, strategy and partnerships for North America. He also represents LyondellBasell at the Alliance to End Plastic Waste as part of the regional task force in North America and Thematic Expert Groups. Nagarajan brings more than 25 years of experience with expertise in sustainability, business management, marketing, sales, product development, mergers and acquisitions and capital projects including international experience in India, Asia, Australia and South America. Prior to his current role he was the managing director for the Polypropylene Compounding Business at Basell Polyolefins India Private Ltd.
“Cyclyx has an ambitious mission of helping to increase the recycling rate of post-use plastic from 10% to 90%,” said Joe Vaillancourt, chief executive officer of Cyclyx. “The knowledge of and commitment to sustainability and building a more circular economy that Ron, Ricardo and Ganesh bring will be crucial in helping us to reach our goals.”
About Cyclyx International, LLC.
Cyclyx International, LLC. (“Cyclyx”) is a post-use plastic feedstock management company working with industry participants to develop innovative recycling solutions for all types of post-use plastics. The company’s mission is to increase the recycling rate of post-use plastics from 10% to 90% by using Cyclyx’s expertise in understanding the chemical composition of waste plastic in collaboration with industry partners to create a new, innovative supply chain. Cyclyx was founded by Agilyx Corporation (“Agilyx”), a leader in advanced chemical recycling, together with ExxonMobil Chemical Company, one of the largest chemical companies in the world. Cyclyx has been formed to be a consortium-based entity and since its founding there have been a growing number of companies joining its membership . For more information, visit us at www.cyclyx.com.
Contacts:
Kate Ringier
VP, Communications & Government Affairs
+ 41 43 883 0396
kate.ringier@agilyx.com
PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire, USA, August 30, 2021 – Cyclyx International, a consortium-based plastic feedstock management company with a mission to increase the recycling rate of plastic from 10% to 90%, has announced the appointment of Bill Cooper as senior vice president, strategic partnerships. Mr. Cooper will focus on fostering collaborative partnerships to help drive the Cyclyx mission.
Before joining Cyclyx, Mr. Cooper served as senior vice president of strategy and development of Agilyx. Prior to that, Mr. Cooper headed the Advanced Fuels, Chemicals and Materials practice at Wedbush Securities as part of its Industrial Growth Technology Group. He brings over 25 years of senior executive, investment banking and consulting experience working with growth companies and has spent a considerable amount of time working with waste-to-value and energy efficiency companies.
“We are excited to welcome Bill to the Cyclyx team,” stated Joe Vallaincourt, CEO of Cyclyx. “Through his work at Agilyx, Bill was instrumental in the creation of the Cyclyx vision. We’re happy to bring him on board and tap into his significant experience in strategic partnerships as we continue to grow and pursue our mission to help increase the recycling rate of plastic from 10% to 90%.”
About Cyclyx International, LLC.
Cyclyx International, LLC. (“Cyclyx”) is a post-use plastic feedstock management company working with industry participants to develop innovative recycling solutions for all types of post-use plastics. The company’s mission is to help increase the recycling rate of plastics from 10% to 90% by using Cyclyx’s expertise in understanding the chemical composition of post-use plastic in collaboration with industry partners to create a new, innovative supply chain. Cyclyx was founded by Agilyx Corporation (“Agilyx”), a leader in advanced chemical recycling, together with ExxonMobil Chemical Company, one of the largest chemical companies in the world. Cyclyx has been formed to be a consortium-based entity and since its founding there have been a growing number of companies joining its membership. For more information, visit us at www.cyclyx.com.
Contacts
Kate Ringier
VP, Communications & Government Affairs
+ 41 43 883 0396
kate.ringier@agilyx.com
TIGARD, Oregon, USA – August 26, 2021 – Agilyx Corporation (Agilyx), a wholly owned subsidiary of Agilyx AS (Euronext Growth (Oslo): “AGLX”) and a pioneer in the advanced recycling of post-use plastics, announced today that Carsten Larsen has been appointed chief commercial officer and senior vice president of Business Development for Agilyx, effective September 1, 2021, replacing Bill Cooper who has joined Cyclyx LLC as senior vice president of Strategic Relationships.
Mr. Larsen will be responsible for driving global growth through the acquisition of customers, initiation, and development of projects. He will work with business partners to expand and accelerate the roll out of Agilyx chemical recycling solutions to address the challenge of post-use plastic globally.
Mr. Larsen is an experienced commercial leader with more than 25 years of industrial expertise, most recently having served as commercial director, Plastics Circularity, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific for Dow Inc. where he was responsible for plastic sustainability strategy development and implementation. Mr. Larsen also served as managing director for Dow Nordics, leading cross-functional international teams and managed key external partnerships.
Tim Stedman commented: “I would like to welcome Carsten to Agilyx at this exciting time in our development. His breadth of knowledge, experience and relationships will be enormously beneficial to the company as we further strengthen our global reach. I would also like to thank Bill as he transitions to Cyclyx. His contributions over the last years have been integral to building Agilyx.”
At Agilyx, Mr. Larsen will join the executive management team, reporting to Tim Stedman, chief executive officer. In this role, he will oversee business development activities for the company as it continues to expand its footprint around the globe. Mr. Larsen will also provide oversight for Agilyx’s sustainability program, working to ensure the company reaches its ambitious sustainability goals in the areas of circular/environment, climate, and society. He will be based in Copenhagen.
Mr. Larsen holds a bachelor’s degree in international business administration from Copenhagen Business School. He has served on the boards of the American Chamber of Commerce in South Africa and the Chemical & Allied Industries’ Association. He has also served as chairman for the Epoxy Industry Association.
About Agilyx
Agilyx (AGLX) is an early leader in the advanced recycling of difficult-to-recycle post-use plastics. With Agilyx’s chemical recycling technology, mixed plastic waste or streams of discrete post-use plastics, such as polystyrene, can be converted to new virgin-equivalent plastics, as well as chemical products and fuels – creating the opportunity for true circularity. The company has not only developed these first-to-market products but has also developed a feedstock management company, Cyclyx International, LLC, and is partnering with a range of waste service providers, municipalities, petrochemical, and brand and retail companies to develop closed-loop recycling solutions for mixed waste plastics. www.agilyx.com.
Contacts
Kate Ringier
VP, Communications & Government Affairs
+ 41 43 883 0396
kate.ringier@agilyx.com
PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire, USA, August 16, 2021 – Cyclyx International, a consortium-based feedstock management company with a mission to increase the recycling rate of plastic from 10% to 90%, announced that INEOS Styrolution, a global leader in styrenics, has joined the Cyclyx consortium as a founding member. Ricardo Cuetos, vice president, INEOS Styrolution America, will join the Cyclyx executive advisory board.
INEOS Styrolution recently announced its global plastic pledge to move toward a more circular economy for plastic packaging. The company has developed a family of products made from recycled post-consumer plastic waste as well as materials based on renewable feedstock in an effort to fulfil its vision to be recognized as the global leader in sustainable styrenics solutions. These products, marketed under the name INEOS Styrolution ECO, match the performance of the company’s existing producing portfolio while reducing its greenhouse gas footprint and reducing the amount of post-consumer waste going to landfill.
INEOS Styrolution has a strong vision for sustainability aimed at improving and increasing the recovery of post-consumer plastic waste and strengthening innovation for circularity. In his role on the Cyclyx executive advisory board, Mr. Cuetos will actively contribute to innovative advancements in the sustainability and circular economy of plastics.
As a member of the Cyclyx consortium, INEOS Styrolution will have access to the Cyclyx platform which includes an integrated set of innovations including chemical characterization of plastics and predictive modelling of feedstock sources to product pathways, custom feedstock recipes, and customized supply chains, offering INEOS Styrolution essential tools to accelerate progress on its sustainability goals. These innovations aim to deliver waste plastic feedstock appropriate for all existing and new mechanical and advanced recycling pathways.
“Cyclyx is a leader in the feedstock management and technology space, going far beyond conventional methods for recovering plastic waste. Cyclyx’s extensive knowledge of polystyrene waste sourcing will allow us to reach the necessary feedstock levels required to meet the increasingly high demand we are seeing for recycled polystyrene products. The opportunity to join Cyclyx as a founding member further strengthens our valued partnership and I am looking forward to being a part of the continued innovations that will certainly come from Cycylx.” says, Ricardo Cuetos, vice president, INEOS Styrolution America, Standard Products.
“We are excited to have INEOS Styrolution as a Cyclyx member and welcome Mr. Cuetos to the advisory board,” stated Joe Vaillancourt, CEO of Cyclyx. “INEOS Styrolution’s commitment to a circular economy is undeniable and their expertise in styrenics make them a strong addition to the consortium while reinforcing the commitment of our members to drive post-use plastic recycling rates from 10% to 90%.”
Cyclyx International
Kate Ringier
VP, Communications & Government Affairs
+41 78 822 7770
INEOS STYROLUTION
April Ludwikowski
Marketing Communications Manager, Americas
INEOS Styrolution America LLC
4245 Meridian Parkway, Suite 151
Aurora, IL 60504
USA
Phone: +1 331.212.5757
Email: april.ludwikowski@ineos.com
About Cyclyx International, LLC.
Cyclyx International, LLC. (“Cyclyx”) is a post-use plastic feedstock management company working with industry participants to develop innovative recycling solutions for all types of post-use plastics. The company’s mission is to help increase the recycling rate of plastics from 10% to 90% by using Cyclyx’s expertise in understanding the chemical composition of post-use plastic in collaboration with industry partners to create a new, innovative supply chain. Cyclyx was founded by Agilyx Corporation (“Agilyx”), a leader in advanced chemical recycling, together with ExxonMobil Chemical Company, one of the largest chemical companies in the world. Cyclyx has been formed to be a consortium-based entity and since its founding there have been a growing number of companies joining its membership. For more information, visit us at www.cyclyx.com.
About INEOS Styrolution
INEOS Styrolution is the leading global styrenics supplier, with a focus on styrene monomer, polystyrene, ABS Standard and styrenic specialties. With world-class production facilities and more than 90 years of experience, INEOS Styrolution helps its customers succeed by offering solutions, designed to give them a competitive edge in their markets. At the same time, these innovative and sustainable best-in-class solutions help make the circular economy for styrenics a reality. The company provides styrenic applications for many everyday products across a broad range of industries, including automotive, electronics, household, construction, healthcare, packaging and toys/sports/leisure. In 2020, sales were at 4 billion euros. INEOS Styrolution employs approximately 3,600 people and operates 20 production sites in ten countries. More information visit www.ineos-styrolution.com . Follow us on Twitter @styrolution.
PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire, USA, August 12, 2021 – Cyclyx International, a consortium-based feedstock management company with a mission to increase the recycling rate of plastic from 10% to 90%, has announced that LyondellBasell has joined Cyclyx as a founding member. LyondellBasell, one of the world’s largest producers of plastics and chemicals, is a leader in the effort to help advance the circular economy and has pledged to produce and market two million metric tons of recycled and renewable-based polymers annually by 2030.
As a founding member of the consortium, LyondellBasell will join the collaborative efforts of a growing list of companies that are working to foster a more sustainable future for plastics. The company has consistently demonstrated their commitment in this area, leveraging their scale and reach to make a positive impact across the value chain. With multiple investments in recycling technologies and collaborations focused on advancing recycling infrastructure and end markets for recycled products, LyondellBasell’s membership brings valuable knowledge and experience to Cyclyx. In addition, Ganesh Nagarajan, associate director, polymers business development and projects at LyondellBasell will bring his expertise to the executive advisory board.
“As a founding member of Cyclyx, increasing the recycling rate of plastic waste is incredibly important to our sustainability journey,”said Ken Lane, LyondellBasell executive vice president Global Olefins and Polyolefins. “LyondellBasell recognizes the challenges plastic waste brings, and we aim to be a part of the solution through our involvement with Cyclyx, which can help us and our industry achieve our recycling ambitions.”
“We’re very happy to have LyondellBasell join Cyclyx and to welcome Dr. Nagarajan to the executive advisory board,” stated Joe Vaillancourt, CEO of Cyclyx. “Their leadership in advancing the circular economy and experience in utilizing renewable feedstock makes them a valuable participant in our mission to drive plastic recycling rates from 10%-90%.”
Contacts
Kate Ringier
VP, Communications & Government Affairs
+41 78 822 7770
kate.ringier@agilyx.com
About Cyclyx International, LLC.
Cyclyx International, LLC. (“Cyclyx”) is a post-use plastic feedstock management company working with industry participants to develop innovative recycling solutions for all types of post-use plastics. The company’s mission is to help increase the recycling rate of plastics from 10% to 90% by using Cyclyx’s expertise in understanding the chemical composition of post-use plastic in collaboration with industry partners to create a new, innovative supply chain. Cyclyx was founded by Agilyx Corporation (“Agilyx”), a leader in advanced chemical recycling, together with ExxonMobil Chemical Company, one of the largest chemical companies in the world. Cyclyx has been formed to be a consortium-based entity and since its founding there have been a growing number of companies joining its membership. For more information, visit us at www.cyclyx.com.
About LyondellBasell
LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) is one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world. Driven by its employees around the globe, LyondellBasell produces materials and products that are key to advancing solutions to modern challenges like enhancing food safety through lightweight and flexible packaging, protecting the purity of water supplies through stronger and more versatile pipes, improving the safety, comfort and fuel efficiency of many of the cars and trucks on the road, and ensuring the safe and effective functionality in electronics and appliances. LyondellBasell sells products into more than 100 countries and is the world’s largest producer of polypropylene compounds and the largest licensor of polyolefin technologies. In 2021, LyondellBasell was named to FORTUNE Magazine’s list of the “World’s Most Admired Companies” for the fourth consecutive year. More information about LyondellBasell can be found at www.lyondellbasell.com.
- Flame retardant-laden polystyrene can now be recycled into high purity styrene monomer through Agilyx’s advanced recycling process.
- This technological advancement creates significant new market opportunities and enables recyclability of over 200kt1,2 of material annually just in Europe with far larger volume potential in North America and Asia.
PORTLAND, Oregon, July 27, 2021 – Agilyx Corporation (AGLX), a wholly owned subsidiary of Agilyx AS (Euronext Growth (Oslo): “AGLX”) and a pioneer in the advanced recycling of post-use plastics, announced today a significant milestone in their collaboration with a strategic technology partner which will allow for the recycling of brominated flame retardant-laden polystyrene into a high purity styrene monomer for direct use in downstream products including PS, EPS, ABS, SBR, SAN and Unsaturated Polyester Resins.
The integrated technologies of Agilyx depolymerization open the pathway for previously unrecycled materials, such as construction foam and insulation, to be put back into use as new materials at a quality level equivalent to those manufactured from any other styrene monomer. These materials can then be used for any application from building materials to food containers.
“This new advancement in our advanced recycling capabilities truly demonstrates the excellence of Agilyx’s collaborations,” said Tim Stedman, chief executive officer of Agilyx. “The ability to recycle flame retardant-laden polystyrene not only allows this contaminated material to be part of a sustainable recycling value chain, but it will open up new markets that were previously closed due to the contamination associated with these materials. This is an exciting step on our mission to making all plastics circular, even those that are most distressed and contaminated.”
- Conversio, Final Report Waste generation, waste streams and recycling potentials of HBCDcontaining EPS/XPS waste in Europe and forecast model up to 2050, April 2020.
- Preliminary Information on Manufacturing, Processing, Distribution, Use, and Disposal: Cyclic Aliphatic Bromide Cluster (HBCD), U.S. EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention 2017.
Contact
Kate Ringier
Vice President, Communications & Government Affairs, Agilyx
Tel: + 41 43 883 0396
Email: kate.ringier@agilyx.com
About Agilyx Corporation
Agilyx (AGLX) is an early leader in the advanced recycling of difficult-to-recycle post-use plastics. With Agilyx’s chemical recycling technology, mixed plastic waste or streams of discrete post-use plastics, such as polystyrene, can be converted to new virgin-equivalent plastics, as well as chemical products and fuels – creating the opportunity for true circularity. The company has not only developed these first-to-market products but has also developed a feedstock management company, Cyclyx International, Inc., and is partnering with a range of waste service providers, municipalities, petrochemical, and brand and retail companies to develop closed-loop advanced recycling solutions for mixed waste plastics. www.agilyx.com.
PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire, USA – July 13, 2021 – Agilyx Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Agilyx AS (Euronext Growth (Oslo): AGLX) and a pioneer in the chemical recycling of post-use plastics, announced today that recycled styrene monomer produced in its ISCC PLUS certified chemical recycling facility in Tigard, USA, has been successfully used for the manufacture of yogurt pots which are now on shelves in Europe.
Agilyx chemical recycling technology converts post-use polystyrene waste to its chemical building blocks, enabling new, virgin-quality plastics to be manufactured again and again. This recycled styrene monomer is now being used in the production of recycled polystyrene (rPS) for food contact applications, resulting in a global food manufacturer producing the first rPS yogurt pot in Europe.
A significant milestone for food contact packaging, the recycled styrene monomer in these new pots is made with 50 percent recycled polystyrene, demonstrating that depolymerization technology can provide the building blocks needed to create new, virgin-quality plastics, without the need for harvesting new fossil fuels.
“We could not be more excited about this groundbreaking achievement: waste plastic circularity into food-contact packaging is the gold standard of chemical recycling. These new pots made with up to 50 percent recycled polystyrene is a real-world example of our technology in action,” stated Tim Stedman, CEO of Agilyx.
About Agilyx
Agilyx (AGLX) is an early leader in the advanced recycling of difficult-to-recycle post-use plastics. With Agilyx’s chemical recycling technology, mixed plastic waste or streams of discrete post-use plastics, such as polystyrene, can be converted to new virgin-equivalent plastics, as well as chemical products and fuels – creating the opportunity for true circularity. The company has not only developed these first-to-market products but has also developed a feedstock management company, Cyclyx International, LLC, and is partnering with a range of waste service providers, municipalities, petrochemical, and brand and retail companies to develop closed-loop recycling solutions for mixed waste plastics. www.agilyx.com.
Contacts
Kate Ringier
VP, Communications & Government Affairs
+41 78 822 7770
kate.ringier@agilyx.com
TIGARD, Oregon, USA – July 8, 2021 – Agilyx Corporation (AGLX), a wholly owned subsidiary of Agilyx AS (Euronext Growth (Oslo): “AGLX”) and a pioneer in the chemical recycling of post-use plastics, announced today Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) results for its chemical recycling technology. Agilyx participated in the Styrenics Circular Solutions LCA, contributing data for its depolymerization technology.
During the Styrenics Circular Solutions virtual event, ‘Move to Zero. Zero Waste. Zero CO2. Powered by Styrenics,’ LCA findings were unveiled with results indicating that Agilyx’ depolymerization technology saves approximately 75% of CO2-emissions in comparison to the production of polystyrene from virgin raw materials and incineration.
The SCS LCA focused on closed loop recycling routes back to food contact quality, analyzing food-quality polystyrene recycling options. Results from the study indicated that depolymerization is the most efficient process to recycle polystyrene into truly circular food quality products. Furthermore, depolymerization is the shortest recycling process in comparison to mechanical recycling and dissolution to achieve virgin food grade quality, enabling a fully circular process.
“At Agilyx, we want to accelerate the capture of post use plastics to put them to their best use,” said Tim Stedman, chief executive officer. “Our chemical recycling technology delivers a waste-to-value option for post-use plastics to get them back into the circular economy. These exciting results show the beneficial role that depolymerization can play in the recycling chain, where chemical recycling and other technologies can enable the circularity of plastics.”
This LCA study of polystyrene was performed by the leading research institute Neue Materialien Bayreuth (NMB), based in Germany. The methodology used by NMB followed the relevant international standards ISO 14040 / ISO 14044 and will be peer-reviewed.
Contact
Kate Ringier
Vice President, Communications & Government Affairs
Tel: +41 788-227-770
Email: kate.ringier@agilyx.com
About Agilyx
Agilyx (AGLX) is an early leader in the advanced recycling of difficult-to-recycle post-use plastics. With Agilyx’s chemical recycling technology, mixed plastic waste or streams of discrete post-use plastics, such as polystyrene, can be converted to new virgin-equivalent plastics, as well as chemical products and fuels – creating the opportunity for true circularity. The company has not only developed these first-to-market products but has also developed a feedstock management company, Cyclyx International, LLC, and is partnering with a range of waste service providers, municipalities, petrochemical, and brand and retail companies to develop closed-loop recycling solutions for mixed waste plastics. www.agilyx.com.