Nova Chemicals Announces Mechanical PE Recycling Facility

Calgary-based Nova Chemicals announced it will use an existing site in Connersville, Indiana to develop a new facility for the mechanical recycling of polyethylene film.

The facility will recycle films collected from retail, distribution centers, and consumer drop-off locations. Pellets produced by the facility will be sold as Nova’s Syndigo brand of recycled LLDPE.

Site preparation will take place throughout the remainder of 2023 and 2024, with operations to begin in the second quarter of 2025. Production is expected to exceed 100 million lb/yr by 2026.

The facility will be operated by Novolex Holdings, a developer of packaging products for food services and industrial markets with experience operating film recycling facilities. The new operation is expected to create 125 local jobs in Connersville.

Nova anticipates investing between $2-4 billion by 2030 to expand its sustainable product offerings, decarbonize its assets, and build a mechanical recycling business while exploring new advanced recycling technologies. The company has set a 2030 goal of 30% recycled content, as a share of total polyethylene sales.

“We are committed to helping our customers achieve their recycled content goals through a variety of business models and we look forward to making more announcements like this as we work to enable a low-carbon, zero plastic waste future,” says Roger Kearns, president and CEO at Nova Chemicals.