Amcor, and Mondelēz International, Inc., are joining forces to invest in advanced recycling technology pioneer Licella in an important step towards ending plastic waste.
The joint investments announced today will help Licella progress with constructing one of Australia’s first advanced recycling facilities.
Licella Holdings developed the Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactor (Cat-HTR™) platform, an advanced recycling technology that chemically transforms waste plastics into high-quality oil.
This technology helps drive a circular economy for plastic waste, reducing landfill waste and driving net zero carbon.
Licella’s Circular Economy Initiative Explained
Licella will use its innovative Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactor (Cat-HTR™) technology to recycle end-of-life plastic back into a crude oil substitute suitable to produce new food-grade plastic packaging.
Cat-HTR™ is an advanced hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) technology that uses hot, pressurized water to continuously recycle end-of-life plastic that would otherwise be sent to a landfill.
The new Australian facility, Advanced Recycling Victoria, is set to initially process approximately 20,000 tons per year of end-of-life plastic, with plans to scale up to 120,000 tons per year.[1]
Mondelez International will use recycled material from this location through Amcor to fulfill most of its soft plastic packaging requirements in Australia, thereby reducing its demand for virgin plastic in Australia.
According to Frank Lehmann, vice president of Corporate Venturing and Open Innovation at Amcor, the company offers a number of packaging solutions made from recycled materials.
“Amcor is continually seeking opportunities to invest in new technologies that will bring long-term benefits to our customers, consumers, and the planet. We recognize our products can play a vital role in the circular economy, and partnerships like this enhance our ability to deliver innovative solutions for our customers, like Mondelēz International,” said Lehmann.
Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific’s president, Mike Cash, says the investment will meet growing customer demand for recycled content and help achieve 30% recycled content in the company’s portfolio by 2030.
Plastic is crucial for food product security, quality, and preservation, but sustainable local recycling solutions are lacking, according to Christine Montenegro McGrath, Mondelēz International’s senior vice president.
“Our packaging strategy is focused on using less packaging, better packaging, and helping to build better systems. This investment brings together multiple stakeholders in the supply chain to scale the infrastructure and technology needed to help create a more sustainable future for plastics and is part of our longer-term focus on working toward our goal of net-zero packaging waste by supporting circular economies,” said McGrath
References
- Amcor, ‘Amcor, Mondelez International and Licella to promote circular economy’, 10 August 2023, https://www.amcor.com/media/news/amcor-mondelez-licella-partner-to-promote-circular-economy[↩]
