1. The study provides a comparative environmental and economic assessment of plastic waste recycling and energy recovery (incineration) technologies, using actual plant data complemented with external information. The recycling technologies include mechanical, physical and chemical recycling.
2. The study concludes that the choice of the preferred management option for plastic waste should be based on three main criteria: i) the maximisation of material recovery while minimising processing impacts, principally related to energy consumption (reflecting environmental performance), in line with the waste hierarchy, ii) the specificity of the plastic waste stream and the treatment thereby required (technical feasibility), and iii) the economic feasibility.
3. Preliminary economic data suggests that some physical and chemical recycling technologies may be already economically viable without financial support, whereas others might become so in the medium to long term.

• Relevant upcoming EU regulations for CR
• Mass balance as one of the key tools for the circular transformation of the chemical industry
• Status of mass balance in upcoming EU regulations

• Introduction of ISCC PLUS system
• Mass balance and attribution approaches – current status, recognition, and way ahead
• Benefits of certification and the use of logos and claims by brand owners

• Shell is working to develop the circular economy, working closely with value chain partners
• Key differentiator is Shell’s upgrading capability, which it is building a 50 kta capacity at Moerdijk, NL
• Upgrading capability will enable Shell to work with a broader range of feedstocks and enable optimization of waste recycling across the value chain

Joris Flapper, Commercial Lead Plastic Circular Economy – Europe, Shell