SÜDPACK expands its commitment in CARBOLIQ

Effective January 2, 2024, SÜDPACK acquires additional shares in CARBOLIQ GmbH and appoints Dirk Hardow as Managing Director. This underscores SÜDPACK's commitment to the circular economy of plastics and chemical recycling as a complementary recycling technology. Dirk Hardow, who is responsible at SÜDPACK as Head of BU FF&C for the development and implementation of circular models, will lead the company as Managing Director in the future.

The acquisition of the majority shares in CARBOLIQ was signed on December 15. For Erik Bouts, CEO of SÜDPACK, this means "a logical next step. We see the CARBOLIQ technology as an indispensable building block for the transformation of our industry towards a circular economy."

With the acquisition, the film manufacturer also reinforces its leading position in terms of the circular economy in the industry for flexible packaging. To date, SÜDPACK is the only manufacturer of flexible films with direct access to capacities for chemical recycling. "We are deeply convinced of the advantages of this advanced technology compared to other processes," emphasizes Dirk Hardow. "The CARBOLIQ technology offers significant benefits over other methods in terms of energy consumption and processing window for a wide variety of materials," Hardow further explains.

For good reason: specifically, CARBOLIQ is an advanced thermo-chemical process also known as direct liquefaction. Unlike other pyrolysis methods, the CARBOLIQ process differs significantly in its flexibility regarding the feedstock materials, which do not necessarily have to be polyolefin-based. Thanks to this high feedstock tolerance, CARBOLIQ is also suitable for liquefying contaminated, mixed, or other plastics, as well as flexible packaging and highly complex multi-layer films.

Another advantage: the process occurs at a lower temperature of below 400°C. The low process temperature, the single-step nature of the process, and the energy input directly into the material via friction enable material conversion with relatively low energy input.

Initial pilot projects with customers have already been successfully implemented or are currently in the implementation phase. "We believe that chemical recycling will play a key role in the upcoming PPWR (Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation), not least to enable the required recycled content quotas, especially in the production of food packaging," predicts Dirk Hardow.

Currently, the plant concept of CARBOLIQ—based on high-calorific input fractions and operated in full continuous mode—is designed for an annual throughput of approximately 10,000 tons. The secondary raw material marketed under the name CLR (Circular Liquid Resource) closely resembles many essential properties of fossil crude oil and its derived products—and is thus a full substitute for fossil resources.

Dirk Hardow looks forward to inspiring customers with the technology and further establishing the process in the market together with the CARBOLIQ team. Because: "In our opinion, the transition to a circular economy cannot be achieved solely through mechanical recycling but rather through a healthy mix of various technologies."