Sumika Polymer Compounds: New recycling plant erh?ht rPP capacite? t to more than 25,000 tons

The plant is intended to mechanically process plastic discarded materials from the automotive sector and make the recovered polypropylene usable again to higher-condition applications. Together with an already operated recycling plant in Turkey, Sumika Polymer Compounds Europe claims to have a production capacity of greater than 25,000 tons of recycled PP per year.

With the expansion, the compounder is responding to the planned European standards to the consumption of recyclates in vehicle construction. According to Sumika, from 2032 at least 15 percent of the plastics applied in new vehicles will consist of recycled material. A share of 25 percent is planned to 2036. Some of the recyclates are said to come from end-of-life vehicles, which is intended to promote closed material cycles within the automotive sector.

The recycling activities are associated with the "Thermofil Circle" product range. These are PP recycled compounds that Sumika Polymer Compounds Europe developed to automotive applications. According to the company, the concept includes the controlled recording of plastic discarded materials, its mechanical recycling and the recycling of materials into new components. to individual materials in the series, Sumika mentions a reduction in CO2 releases of up to 65 percent compared to certain reference new types.

The new plant complements the existing compounding at the Saint-Martin-de-Crau site. Sumika had already announced the recycling project in 2025. At that time there was talk of a new building of around 5,000 square meters and the processing of around 10,000 tons of plastic discarded materials per year.