Aether Industries has partnered with Novoloop, a leading plastic circular economy technology company to scale Novoloop's Lifecycling™ technology.

This breakthrough technology transforms post-consumer plastic waste into virgin-quality monomers for the synthesis of virgin-quality, high performance materials such as the company's Lifecycled™ thermoplastic polyurethane.

“The integrated pilot plant, mirroring our full-scale commercial process design, marks a pivotal advancement in technology readiness,” said Nedim Hasanbegovic, VP of Engineering at Novoloop. Equipped with industrially-applicable instrumentation, process controls, and safety systems, it will operate continuously confirming the reliability of this first-of-a-kind Lifecycling™ process. This crucial step will demonstrate the technology in a real-world 24/7 operating environment, paving the way for full-scale production. Additionally, the operations at Aether will validate key technoeconomic aspects such as product yield and recovery rates, demonstrating the financial attractiveness of Novoloop's proprietary technology.

Novoloop's Lifecycling™ technology provides an economical and sustainable solution to hard-torecycle plastics. By using highly scalable mechanisms of oxidation to convert post-consumer polyethylene into useful monomers for durable materials, Novoloop expects to provide its products at prices competitive with fossil-based products. Furthermore, an ISO-compliant lifecycle assessment shows that Novoloop monomers can realize a carbon footprint reduction of up to 91% when compared to the conventional process of producing adipic acid.

The project will unfold in phases, with the startup of initial operations commencing in Q1 2024 and culminating in a 70-metric ton annual plastic intake capacity by the end of 2024. This phased approach allows for meticulous data collection and optimization at each step, ensuring a robust and scalable operation. Products generated from this pilot plant will be made available to customers for trial and commercial release.