EXCLUSIVE-From Shell to Unilever, plastics polluters back recycling-tech flops

EXCLUSIVE-From Shell to Unilever, plastics polluters back recycling-tech flops

Some of the world's biggest multinationals are hailing so-called advanced recycling as the solution to a waste crisis that has lawmakers looking to crack down on plastics use. The impetus is coming from two sets of players: big oil and chemical companies that make the petrochemicals used to manufacture plastic, and global consumer brands that use huge amounts of the material in packaging. These giants are striking deals with startups that claim they can transform this garbage into fuel or resin to make new plastic. But some recent efforts in this "high-tech" recycling boom have already fizzled. At least four high-profile projects have been dropped or indefinitely delayed over the last two years because they weren't commercially viable, Reuters has learned. Here are the details: Dow Inc, one of the world's biggest plastics makers, backed a program that in 2018 began taking plastic waste from residents in Boise, Idaho and trucking it more than 300 miles (483 kilometers) across the state line to Salt Lake City, Utah. There it was to be converted into diesel fuel by Renewlogy, an advanced recycling startup. Renewlogy touted its technology as capable of handling all types of plastic waste, including takeout containers and cling