NOVA Chemicals Corporation recently announced it is developing its first mechanical recycling facility in Connersville, Indiana.
The facility will employ about 125 people and process post-consumer plastic films to produce the company’s SYNDIGO™ recycled polyethylene (rPE) at commercial scale as early as 2025, the company said in a news release.
It will create more than 100 million pounds of rPE by 2026.
NOVA Chemicals plans to expand its recycling footprint over the next several years to help it reach its 2030 goal of 30% recycled content as a share of its total polyethylene sales.
The company, which is based in Canada, recently announced its 2030 Roadmap to Sustainability Leadership that includes an anticipated investment of up to $4 billion by 2030 to expand its sustainable product offerings, decarbonize its assets, and build the state-of-the-art mechanical recycling business, while also exploring new advanced recycling technologies.
“We are committed to helping our customers achieve their recycled content goals through a variety of business models,” said Roger Kearns, NOVA Chemicals president and CEO, in a release. “And we look forward to making more announcements like this as we work to enable a low-carbon, zero plastic waste future.”
Connersville was selected because of its access to an abundant feedstock supply of post-consumer films from nearby metropolitan areas and easy-to-access rail service for distributing SYNDIGO™ rPE to NOVA Chemicals’ customers.
The facility will be operated by Novolex Holdings, LLC, a developer of packaging products for foodservice and industrial markets.
“Novolex is proud to collaborate with NOVA Chemicals’ Circular Solutions and is excited by the opportunity to operate this state-of-the art recycling facility in the Hoosier state,” said Stanley Bikulege, Novolex chairman and CEO, in a release. “Indiana has long been a hub for sustainability, innovation, and business. The new plant will build on our experience of operating both our North Vernon plastics recycling facility in Indiana and our recycling plant in Wisconsin, as well as accelerate our commitment to support recycling and the circular economy.”
NOVA Chemicals, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, has nearly 2,500 employees worldwide and is wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.