Sustainable plastic solutions company GCR announced that its polyolefin recycling plant located in Castellet i la Gornal, outside of Barcelona, Spain, has officially commenced operations.

The factory has an annual recycling capacity of over 130,000 tons of polyolefin plastics, making it one of the leading mechanical recycling facilities in Europe. In comparison, Sweden's "Site Zero" has an annual plastic packaging sorting capacity of 200,000 tons.

GCR stated in the LinkedIn announcement that after 6 years of planning and development, the completion of this factory marks a milestone for the company in the field of circular economy.

The factory can recycle 100,000 tons of post-consumer polyolefins and 30,000 tons of post-industrial polyolefins annually. It is equipped with Erema recycling lines, Tomra optical sorting equipment, and the largest high-temperature cleaning system in Europe to ensure the production of high-purity recycled materials.

The setting also features built-in laboratories for strict quality control and performance testing; customized deodorization and batch homogenization systems, as well as a closed-loop water circulation system to minimize water usage.

The capacity of the new factory will directly supply GCR's two major product lines:

-Ciclic recycled polyolefin product portfolio covers recycled HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE, and PP, which is claimed to reduce carbon emissions by up to 90%.

-Granic product line combines ultra-fine minerals such as calcium carbonate (CaCO3), talc, or silica with PE and PP. Granic additives can account for up to 70% of the final plastic content, reducing the amount of polymer used while enhancing the mechanical properties of the end application.

GCR currently has an annual total production capacity of 500,000 tons, with products exported to more than 100 countries worldwide, and the export ratio of products is as high as 85%.