Record High for Chemical Recycling Patents, BASF Leads

According to the analysis by intellectual property firm Appleyard Lees, the number of global patent applications for chemical recycling technology has reached a record high.A new historical high, and the introduction of policies is one of the important factors driving innovation.

Appleyard Lees, in its fifth edition of "Inside Green Innovation: Progress Report," noted that in the latest available data, the number of applications in 2023 was 794, representing a 6% increase from the previous year, and more than double the 368 applications in 2019. However, despite the record-high number of applications, the company pointed out that the growth rate has slowed down.

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Patent Application Trends

Currently, there is a high global interest in chemical recycling technology, and the number of patent applications has sharply increased over the past four years.

In 2023, it became the country with the highest number of patent applications for chemical recycling.215 itemsThe growth is considered to be related to the South Korean government's proposal in 2020 of "Reduce plastic waste by 20% before 2025.The goals are closely related.

In addition, South Korea will implement new rPET usage regulations starting from January 2026, requiring large enterprises to incorporate 10% recycled materials in beverage bottles, increasing to 30% by 2030.

In contrast,The United States and EuropeThe number of patent applications declined in 2023, marking the first significant drop in recent years and becoming one of the main reasons for the global slowdown.

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BASF leaps to first place, new players continuously entering

2023.BASF GermanyRanked first for three consecutive years.Eastman Chemical Company...becoming the company with the most patent applications in the field of chemical recycling. BASF's application volume in 2023 is ... times that of 2022.Three times more.

The top ten companies in terms of patent applications in 2023 include.：

BASF (Germany)

Borealis AG (Austria)

Carbios (France)

Chevron (CP Chem, USA)

Eastman (USA)

ExxonMobil (USA)

IFP Energies Nouvelles (France)

LG Chem (Korea)

Mitsubishi (Japan)

Sabic (Saudi Arabia)

Some patent applicants submitted patents in 2023 in the following fields:

The process of producing aldehydes and alcohols from waste plastics using hydrogenation treatment.

The process of recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET) through glycolysis.

The method for producing pyrolysis oil from waste plastics includes melting waste plastic raw materials and process oil flow, pyrolyzing the melted materials

Method for producing recycled polyolefin resin using the extrusion method.

Microwave Hydrolysis Dechlorination System and Method for Mixed Waste Plastics

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Technical Focus: PP, PVC, and PET Become New Innovation Highlights

Different types of plastics require different recycling technologies.PolypropylenePP is the most focused type of plastic in chemical recycling innovation, followed byPolyvinyl chloridePVC andPolyethylene Terephthalate (PET)。

Despite the relatively low number of patent applications for HDPE and LDPE, there has been continuous growth in recent years, indicating a trend of technological diversification.