Page 54 - Plastics News March 2025
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BUSINESS NEWS
with approximate recycled content of 50%, Ol- “We continue to stand by the time line that we’ve
son said. The Virginia facility using the mate- discussed in the past,” he said, adding that suc-
rial currently purchases 60 million to 70 million cess at the Ohio site would lead to better long-
pounds of PP each year, he added, providing term financing rates as well as cash to move the
opportunity for PureCycle to scale up in the fiber Georgia plant forward.
sector.
PureCycle broke ground on the Augusta site in
Fiber applications are especially challenging due March 2022, expecting to complete the first pro-
to the low tolerance for contaminants, when re- duction line by fourth-quarter 2023, but in Au-
cycled resins typically contain excessive ash and gust 2023 said it expected to start construction
other contaminants, Olson said. activity by the end of that year.
And in February, PureCycle announced its first In January 2023, the company also announced
commercial product line with Churchill Contain- plans for its first commercial-scale plant in Eu-
er, which makes souvenir cups and containers. rope, located in Antwerp, Belgium. Olson did not
Olson said professional sports teams in football, provide an update on the site during the most
baseball, soccer and basketball each use about recent call.
50,000-100,000 pounds of resin in souvenir ves-
sels each season. Churchill has received a com- In addition, the company is working on growth
mitment from one professional sports team and opportunities in Asia, he said. In October 2022,
inquiries from more than 10 others, Olson said. the company announced a joint venture with SK
geo centric for a PP recycling plant in South Ko-
Importantly, “Churchill has seen no pushback rea, though in October 2024 the arrangement
from their customers on premium resin pricing,” was ended.
Olson added.
“The more commercial success that we can
Expansion plans show across a wide variety of applications, the
more opportunity we’re going to have to sell to
Plans for the company’s Augusta site in Geor- higher value creation customers that can afford
gia – the first to feature two production lines, to spend a bit more on the product,” Olson said.
with potential for eight – were less clear, though “And that’s going to give us a lot of flexibility
Olson acknowledged that the site is “ready to going forward as well as fuel the growth plan for
go” and the company had purchased equipment the company.”
for the two 130,000 ton lines that had long lead
times. Source – Plastics Recycling Update
54 PLASTICS NEWS March 2025
