Oxford-based company partners with Taiwanese companies to demonstrate ‘atomic scissors’ recycling technology that processes unsorted plastic waste into virgin-grade polypropylene.
Recycling technology company, Repolywise, has announced the construction of a plastics recycling plant in Taiwan, aimed at processing and recycling one tonne of plastic waste daily.
The announcement comes as part of a collaboration between Repolywise and Acer Synergy Tech Corp., Big South Resources Regeneration Co., and Fu-Tai Engineering Co., which will see each partner contributing to the sourcing, sorting, and designing of the facility.
The design phase for the Taiwan demonstration plant is expected to commence in 2025, with construction projected for 2026.
Chemical recycling process to be used on all plastics
The collaboration will utilise Repolywise’s “Atomic Scissors” technology, a hydrocracking process that selectively degrades waste plastics and processes them into virgin-grade polypropylene for reuse.
Atomic Scissors cuts plastics into molecules with three carbon atoms (propane) using a chemical recycling process, which can be built into new plastic content. Input plastic streams do not require sorting, including by plastic type, though the reaction’s yield does vary according to the state of contamination.
Discussing the technology, Dr Bryan Ng, Founder and CEO of Repolywise, commented: “Atomic Scissors technology represents a major advancement in chemical recycling, offering a viable pathway to reducing plastic waste and promoting a circular economy.”
Preliminary testing of the reaction has been undertaken on end-of-life Acer products. As development progresses, a wider range of plastic samples from Acer Synergy Tech will be sent to Repolywise’s laboratory at Oxford University’s Begbroke Science Park for further testing.
The Taiwan pilot unit represents the first commercial-scale use of the technology.
Partnership offers supply, sorting, and design support
Once the plant is operational, Acer Synergy Tech Corp. will provide recycled notebooks and contribute its expertise in system integration to help extend the lifecycles of PCs.
Big South Resources Regeneration Co. will offer dismantling, sorting, and grading of waste materials, ensuring the efficient recovery of usable plastics.
Yi-chie Chen, Vice Chairman of Ming-Fu Group, holding company of Big South Resources Regeneration Co., commented: “This partnership provides an extraordinary opportunity to leverage our extensive experience in sorting and grading materials to help optimise the recovery process for high-value plastics.
“Together with Repolywise’s advanced recycling technology, we can create a meaningful impact in Taiwan and beyond, supporting both environmental sustainability and the circular economy.”
Fu-Tai Engineering Co. will offer its expertise in designing and manufacturing tractors integral to the hydrocracking process used by Repolywise’s Atomic Scissors technology.
Stark Wu, Chairman of Fu-Tai Engineering Co., added: “Our team’s expertise in reactor design and manufacturing is essential for the precise execution of Repolywise’s Atomic Scissors technology. Working with such forward-thinking partners to develop a solution that can efficiently and sustainably handle plastic waste at scale is an incredible opportunity for Fu-Tai Engineering and for Taiwan’s green engineering initiatives.”
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