Plastic is not biodegradable, and it takes years to break down. Plastic recycling has several environmental benefits, like recycling requires 88% less energy than making plastics from raw materials. Renew ELP is setting up a plastics recycling plant in Teesside, England, using hydrothermal upgrading technology. Here is some important information on the latest trend in plastic recycling using hydrothermal upgrading.
Why does Plastic Recycling Technology Needs an Upgrade?
The world is witnessing an increase in the consumption of plastic goods from virgin feedstock without clear recycling policies. The rise in global warming and increasing pollution of land and sea due to plastics is a primary environmental concern for all countries.
Renew ELP, a company in the UK has begun construction of the world’s first commercial plastic recycling plant based on hydrothermal upgrading. The reason to opt for a Hydrothermal Plastic Recycling System is that it can convert a variety of low-value feedstock, including mixed composite polymer streams, into high-grade oils and chemicals. Additionally, the carbon footprint of hydrothermal upgrading is also low. Read more about Craigslist Ames Top Services you must know.
The company has already invested AUD 75(CAD 70) million into developing and testing this new plastic recycling technology at a plant in South Wales, Australia. Recycling technology has extensively been trialed and upscale in the last decade.
What Is Hydrothermal Upgrading?
Hydrothermal upgrading uses water in a supercritical state. It breaks down the polymeric structure of plastic feedstock. The recycling process harvests hydrogen from the water to create new stable hydrocarbons and produces several stable products in the process that can be easily stored and shipped. Many of the products obtained in the recycling process are of equivalence to existing chemical products.
The company has also mentioned that high-yield monomers and high-value compounds are suitable for fuel and chemical applications.
Benefits of Hydrocarbon Upgrading Recycling
Can Recycle Contaminated Plastics:
Experts believe that the hydrocarbon upgrading method can be used as a supplementary process for traditional recycling. The company states that they can mix a variety of plastics in the recycling process.
Even the contaminated plastics that cannot be recycled with traditional recycling processes can be recycled with this new technology. Currently, most of the contaminated plastics end up in landfills. The Hydrocarbon upgrading recycling method enables the polymer to retain its value and continually recycle it.
Mixed Recycling:
Hydrocarbon upgrading recycling allows recycling companies to process and recycles various materials together. For example, you can process multi-layer rigid and flexible plastics and mixed composite polymers. The recycling process can also handle the contamination of plastic material with non-plastics
ClosedLoop Recycling:
Closed-loop recycling refers to the process where the recycled material can be used to create material of the same type without losing any properties. Very few plastic segments can achieve closed-loop recycling. Secondary recycling of plastics, which involves inferior qualities of plastics, generally results in the production of black plastic. Plastic waste management is a huge problem due to these factors.
Hydrocarbon upgrading converts plastic resins into oils and basic chemicals. The thermal environment provided by the technology can decompose recalcitrant polymers like polyethylene and polypropylene.
As a result, many believe that hydrocarbon upgrading can be an environmentally friendly technology that can help recycle a large number of plastics safely.
What Is Hydrothermal Upgrading?
Hydrothermal upgrading, also called hydrothermal liquefaction, is a chemical recycling process that uses hot, pressurised water to break down plastic waste. The water is heated to a supercritical state, which means it is hot and under high pressure, so it acts both as a liquid and as a gas. In this state, water can break the long chains of molecules in plastic, called polymers, into shorter chains. The result is a mix of oils and basic chemicals that can be used to make new plastic, fuel, or other chemical products.
The process is different from mechanical recycling, which melts plastic and makes it into new products without changing its chemical structure. Mechanical recycling works well for clean, single-type plastic, such as clear PET bottles. Chemical recycling, such as hydrothermal upgrading, can handle mixed and contaminated plastic that mechanical recycling cannot use, because the process breaks the plastic down to its basic parts first.
Mechanical Recycling vs Chemical Recycling
| Feature | Mechanical recycling | Chemical recycling |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Plastic is sorted, washed, melted, and made into new products | Plastic is broken down by heat, pressure, or chemicals into oils and chemicals |
| Best for | Clean, single-type plastic, such as PET bottles | Mixed and contaminated plastic |
| Quality | Quality can fall each time plastic is recycled | New plastic can be close in quality to virgin plastic |
| Cost | Lower cost, widely used | Higher cost, still being scaled up |
Why Plastic Recycling Needs New Technology
Only a small share of plastic waste is recycled today. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, known as the OECD, only about 9 percent of plastic waste is recycled around the world, while about half goes to landfill, about one fifth is not collected or is burned, and the rest is burned for energy. A large part of plastic waste is hard to recycle, because it is mixed with other materials, dirty, or made of more than one type of plastic.
New technology, such as hydrothermal upgrading, aims to recycle plastic that cannot be recycled by normal means. Companies such as Renew ELP in the United Kingdom, named in this post, have built plants to test this technology at a large scale. The company’s plant in Teesside, England, was described as the world’s first commercial plastic recycling plant using hydrothermal upgrading. The company has said that the process can turn low-value plastic waste into high-grade oils and chemicals, with a low carbon footprint compared with making new plastic from oil.
What Can and Cannot Be Recycled?
Plastic is marked with a number from 1 to 7, called a resin code, which shows the type of plastic. PET, code 1, and HDPE, code 2, are the most widely recycled. Other types, such as PVC, code 3, and mixed plastics, code 7, are harder to recycle. Check the recycling rules in your area, because they differ from place to place. In general, rinse containers before you put them in the recycling bin, remove lids if your local rules say to do so, and do not put soft plastic bags, food wrapping, or black plastic trays in the recycling bin unless your local service accepts them.
How to Reduce Plastic Waste at Home
- Use a reusable bottle and bag. Carry a water bottle and a shopping bag, so you do not need a single-use plastic bottle or bag.
- Buy less packaged food. Choose loose fruit and vegetables, and buy in bulk where you can.
- Sort your recycling. Follow your local recycling rules, and keep recycling clean and dry.
- Repair and reuse. Repair a broken item instead of buying a new one, and reuse containers and bags.
- Support better design. Choose products with less packaging, and products made from recycled plastic, where you can.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is hydrothermal upgrading?
Hydrothermal upgrading is a chemical recycling process that uses hot, pressurised water in a supercritical state to break down plastic waste into oils and basic chemicals, which can be used to make new plastic or other products.
How is chemical recycling different from mechanical recycling?
Mechanical recycling melts plastic and makes it into new products without changing its chemical structure. Chemical recycling breaks plastic down to its basic parts first, so it can handle mixed and contaminated plastic that mechanical recycling cannot use.
How much plastic is recycled in the world?
According to the OECD, only about 9 percent of plastic waste is recycled around the world. About half goes to landfill, and the rest is burned or not collected.
Can contaminated plastic be recycled?
Contaminated plastic is hard to recycle by normal means, but chemical recycling methods, such as hydrothermal upgrading, aim to handle mixed and contaminated plastic. The technology is still being scaled up.
What can I do to reduce plastic waste?
Use reusable bottles and bags, buy less packaged food, sort your recycling by local rules, and repair and reuse items where you can.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. Recycling rules differ by place, so check your local council’s guide for what can be recycled where you live.
Last Updated: 6 November 2026