Borouge Launches Another Plastic Chemical Recycling Project

Recently, the Belgian reusable diaper brand Woosh, global polyolefin solutions leader Borouge International, and leading chemical recycling company BlueAlp, which already operates a commercial plant in Ostend, Belgium, have jointly demonstrated that plastics from discarded baby diapers can be recycled and re-enter the value chain. The recycled diaper plastics undergo chemical recycling to produce pyrolysis oil that meets ISCC PLUS certification, suitable for the production of polymer materials, including diapers. This achievement marks the first industrial-scale realization of this circular process in Europe, providing a credible circular economy pathway for the hygiene products industry.

Disposable baby diapers are one of the most typical examples of a linear economy: although they contain high-value polyolefin-based nonwoven fabrics and films, they are usually used only once before being incinerated or landfilled, with no material recovery whatsoever. Based on consumption data, it is estimated that the EU-28 generated approximately 6.73 million tonnes of disposable baby diapers in 2017, highlighting the enormous scale of this waste stream, which remains largely unrecycled across Europe.

To this end, Woosh, Bole International, and BlueAlp have collaborated to achieve closed-loop recycling of diaper plastics. The three companies have demonstrated that the plastics in discarded baby diapers can be recycled and transformed into raw materials for new polymers through chemical recycling. This marks the first industrial-scale implementation of this closed-loop cycle in Europe, opening up a credible and scalable solution for one of Europe's most challenging waste streams.

This achievement is built on the foundation of Woosh's closed-loop diaper ecosystem. At its core is the Woosh recyclable diaper, which has been specially optimized for easy recycling. Woosh supplies these diapers to childcare institutions and families, and after use, recycles them, thus forming an independent and traceable waste diaper recovery flow.

This dedicated waste stream formed the basis for subsequent processing. Engineers from Borouge International, BlueAlp, and Woosh jointly defined the quality requirements that the recycled plastic needed to meet in order to serve as feedstock for BlueAlp’s chemical recycling technology. Woosh then optimized its proprietary mechanical separation process to produce plastic fractions that met these requirements.

The first industrial-scale recycling trial was conducted at BlueAlp's facility in Ostend, Belgium. The recycled plastic fractions were processed using BlueAlp's pyrolysis technology, converting them into a liquid hydrocarbon known as pyrolysis oil. This pyrolysis oil has received ISCC PLUS certification and meets the quality specifications required for further processing into new polymers, which can be used in the production of items including new diapers.

Peter Voortmans, Vice President of Marketing and Head of the Consumer Goods Division at BoP, stated: "Chemically recycling the plastics in discarded diapers is no easy task and requires careful pre-treatment to meet the specifications for pyrolysis processes. Together with Woosh and BlueAlp, we have successfully tackled this challenge, demonstrating what can be achieved when a team works closely towards a common goal."