Partnering on a circular journey

How do we solve a problem like the circularity loop of plastics?

Well, we don’t work on challenges of this scale alone. We can’t, it's just not possible. It must happen in a series of small, calculated steps, which are all part of a much wider, longer, and sustainable journey.

And along every carefully planned road or route, are our partners who are mapping out a similar path. They are also, as invested as us in doing their bit for the environment, for society and for the sector. We’re interconnected as part of a long value chain.

I’m proud of our role in tackling this issue, and of our roots in the industry. We might be headquartered in Germany, but we now have a market presence in Germany, Austria, Italy, France as well as Belgium, and continue to widen our global network.

We have built our growth on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) licensing services, which gives us access to plastics waste feedstock from households. And we’re turning that plastic waste into oil through a process called pyrolysis. Since March we have been supplying pyrolysis oil to Shell Chemicals Europe B.V., one of our multiple commercial partners, so they can use it in their Market Development Upgrader unit, which has just started up at their chemicals park in Moerdijk, Netherlands.

In turn Shell will upgrade the pyrolysis oil to remove impurities and use the new cleaner feedstock to produce circular chemicals that can be further processed into circular polymers for use in plastics. These circular polymers can be used to enable the production of many things including contact sensitive plastic packaging, which is designed for various contexts such as animal nutrition, food contact, medical devices, and cosmetic products. Based on an initial volume of Pyrolysis Oil provided to Shell for the start-up of the Upgrader, GreenDot and Shell are also open to exploring outlets together for those volumes to ultimately provide more circular chemicals and polymers.

GreenDot knows how essential plastics are in society, but current production methods are unsustainable, as they generate emissions, increase waste and pollution. That is our core business and is why GreenDot is playing a crucial role to reduce impacts as we move towards a circular and sustainable plastics system.

And that is why we are pleased to be supplying our commercial partner Shell with pyrolysis, in an example of how our multiple partnerships and strategic initiatives are contributing towards meeting Europe’s circular polymers ambitions. We’re committed to providing our commercial partners like Shell Chemicals , INEOS Olefins & Polymers Europe and other petchems, converters and PepsiCo and other brand owner partners alike with more pyrolysis in the weeks, months, and years ahead, this is a long-term circular position for us as GreenDotGroup .

Diverting more plastics waste feedstock from energy recovery, landfill and the environment is critical to be achieving a true circular economy in Europe. Collaborating with partners from industry, society and academia is key to meeting the growing demand for the safe, circular use of recycled materials in food contact products and to help the European Union achieve its minimum 10% target of recycled content objectives for contact sensitive plastic packaging 2030.

What are your thoughts?

The GreenDot group is a leading company in addressing the plastic waste pandemic. It develops solutions, systems, and assets to close the circularity loop of plastics by producing high-quality recyclates from hard to recycle waste.

Disclaimer: The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this article, “Shell”, is sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general.