PETROCHEMICAL RECYCLING TO PICK UP SPEED

Oct. 1, 1990
The U.S. industry is stepping up its campaign to recycle petrochemicals. Among the latest programs: Phillips 66 Co. and Partek Corp., Vancouver, Wash., formed a joint venture to recycle goods made from high density polyethylene (HDPE). A subsidiary of Phillips 66 holds a 51 % interest and Partek a 49% interest in the venture, Phillips Plastics Recycling Partnership.

The U.S. industry is stepping up its campaign to recycle petrochemicals.

Among the latest programs:

  • Phillips 66 Co. and Partek Corp., Vancouver, Wash., formed a joint venture to recycle goods made from high density polyethylene (HDPE). A subsidiary of Phillips 66 holds a 51 % interest and Partek a 49% interest in the venture, Phillips Plastics Recycling Partnership.

  • American National Can and Du Pont agreed to cooperate in a project designed to encourage recycling of rigid plastic bottles, such as syrup and multilayer ketchup bottles, and other types of plastic materials not now being widely recycled.

PHILLIPS-PARTEK

The Phillips-Partek combine is spending $3.5 million to start its venture. Phillips' share is nearly $1.8 million.

John R. VanBuskirk, Phillips 66 senior vice-president, plastics, said: "We see HDPE recycling as a positive step in preserving our environment while providing good business potential."

The joint venture plans to build an HDPE recycling plant at an undetermined site. Construction is expected to begin this year and be completed in summer 1991.

The plant will be able to recycle 20 million lb/year of HDPE, which Phillips will market. The possibility of building more recycling plants at other sites is under study.

Phillips 66 is rebuilding its polyethylene plant at Pasadena, Tex., heavily damaged in an accident last October. The first 300 million lb/year of capacity is to go on stream at the site this month.

AMERICAN NATIONAL-DU PONT

The first demonstration of American National-Du Pont's program is expected to occur early next year in Chicago. That city was chosen because of the existing facility of the Plastic Recycling Alliance (PRA), a joint venture between Du Pont and Waste Management Inc.

The American National-Du Pont agreement will involve joint development of plastic sorting technology through the PRA, as well as development of end use markets for all grades of plastics.

PRA's recycling capability will be expanded from its current stream of polyethylene terephthalate soda bottles and high density polyethylene milk jugs and laundry detergent bottles.

The rigid multilayered plastics will be collected by Waste Management through its Recycle America curbside pickup program. PRA will process the collected plastic containers into a form for use in the joint development program between American National and Du Pont.

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