• The partnership will combine the complementary strengths and capabilities of both players in the plastics recycling value-chain, starting with Germany
• The agreement secures plastic waste from Reclay for Borealis to convert and revalorise in quality recyclate materials

January, 13, 2022 - Borealis, a leading provider of polyolefins and a European market leader in base chemicals and fertilizers, and the Reclay Group, international experts in environmental and material recovery management, announce that they have joined forces to satisfy increasing market demand for the supply of recyclate material for use in high-end plastic applications. This partnership will optimise the recycling value chain starting with Germany, one of the largest European recycling markets. The partnership further accelerates the transition to plastics circularity by enabling customers and other value chain partners to meet their own sustainability targets.

New partnership capitalises on strengths of downstream and upstream recycling expertise

The new agreement provides Borealis with access to a secure and steady supply of feedstock in the form of lightweight packaging (LWP) waste collected by Reclay’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme in Germany. The plastic packaging waste is then processed at Borealis’ own recycling plants, thus extending the range of applications for which recycled plastics can be used. This in turn enables value chain partners, customers, and brand owners to meet recycling quotas and increase the volume of plastic recyclate used in products and applications.

“The reliable supply of high-quality recyclate is a prerequisite for a functioning circular economy,” explains Lucrèce Foufopoulos, Borealis Executive Vice President Polyolefins, Innovation & Technology and Circular Economy Solutions. “Working together with the Reclay Group is a strategic step towards value chain integration in securing plastic waste feedstock and improving recyclability. This will enable our customers and partners to achieve their circularity goals and reduce their overall carbon footprint, and at the same time underpins our Borealis journey towards more sustainable living.”

"We are proud to be working in partnership with an innovative and globally recognised company in the chemical industry moving into the future," says Raffael A. Fruscio, Owner and Managing Director of the Reclay Group. "Borealis has state-of-the-art processes in the field of advanced recycling; we’ll jointly be setting a new standard in plastic recycling."

With head offices in Vienna, Austria, Borealis employs 6,900 employees and operates in over 120 countries. In 2020, Borealis generated EUR 6.8 billion in sales revenue and a net profit of EUR 589 million. OMV, the Austria-based international oil and gas company, owns 75% of Borealis, while the remaining 25% is owned by a holding company of the Abu-Dhabi based Mubadala. The group supply services and products to customers around the globe through Borealis and two important joint ventures: Borouge (with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, or ADNOC, based in UAE); and Baystar (with TotalEnergies, based in the US).

Founded in 2002, the Reclay Group is part of the Raan Group and is an internationally oriented service provider in the field of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and voluntary solutions for closing material cycles. With more than 170 employees in locations worldwide, the medium-sized, owner-managed group of companies supports more than 3,000 international contract customers from industry, trade and commerce in achieving their environmental goals and fulfilling their producer responsibility. The team of experts covers the entire value chain of waste disposal and recycling – with the aim of developing tailor-made and individual solutions for customers under the respective existing framework conditions.

Source: Borealis