At the beginning of the year, the film manufacturer acquired a majority stake in Carboliq, thereby securing capacities for chemical recycling.

Südpack CEO Erik Bouts explains that the acquisition of Carboliq is a "logical next step" and makes Südpack the only manufacturer of flexible films with direct access to chemical recycling capacities. Carboliq, based in Remscheid, Germany, reportedly uses a single-stage process for the liquefaction of solid hydrocarbons, also known as direct oiling, for chemical recycling. In this process, hydrocarbons are broken down using thermal, catalytic and physical mechanisms. The resulting product is marketed under the name CLR - Circular Liquid Resource and, according to Carboliq, is a new raw material that is suitable for the production of new plastic granulates, for example. Furthermore, no chemical substances were required for the process, only a powdered silicate was used as a catalyst, which accelerates the oiling process and makes it possible to produce it at low temperatures of below 400 degrees Celsius. "We are deeply convinced of the advantages of this advanced technology compared to other oiling processes," emphasises Dirk Hardow, who, as head of BU FF&C at Südpack, is responsible for the development and implementation of closed-loop models, among other things, and will manage Carboliq as Managing Director in the future.
 
The first pilot projects with customers have already been successfully realised or were currently in the implementation phase. "We expect chemical recycling to play a key role in the context of the upcoming PPWR (Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation), not least to make it possible to meet the required recyclate use rates, particularly in the manufacturing of food packaging," predicts Hardow.
 
Sources:

• Südpack press release (3 January 2024)
• Photo: © Südpack