Sumika Polymer Compounds Europe is expanding its recycling capabilities with an investment of more than €13 million in a new mechanical recycling facility in Saint-Martin-de-Crau, France.
The facility is designed to recover polypropylene waste from automotive and industrial sources and will have annual production capacity of more than 10,000 tonnes of recycled polypropylene. Together with the group's existing recycling operation in Turkey, Sumika says its combined recycled PP capacity will exceed 25,000 tonnes per year.
The investment comes as the European automotive sector prepares for higher recycled-plastics requirements and increased material traceability. Sumika is positioning the new plant as part of a closed-loop approach in which plastic waste from vehicles can be processed and returned to higher-value automotive applications.
The project also highlights the growing role of mechanical recycling technologies in supplying performance materials while reducing dependence on virgin polymer feedstocks.