Recycling Options
Polyvinyl chloride, known as PVC or vinyl, is the third most used plastic in Europe. For over 20 years, the European PVC industry value chain has, under the umbrella of VinylPlus, invested and innovated to make PVC more circular and environmentally sustainable. In 2023, 737,645 tonnes of PVC were recycled through VinylPlus. In total, the European PVC industry has recycled and reused 8.8 million tonnes of PVC in new products since 2000.
Mechanical recycling remains the most widely used method for processing PVC waste today. To continue progressing towards circularity and reach ever more ambitious recycling commitments, the industry is focused on developing advanced sorting, separation, and recycling technologies to address PVC waste that presents unique challenges for conventional mechanical recycling.
This includes composites, where PVC is combined with other polymers or materials, and waste containing legacy additives. These are substances that were commonly used in the past but have been substituted by the industry and are now restricted under regulations like REACH.
Mechanical vs. advanced recycling
Recycling of PVC and other plastics can be broadly grouped in two categories: Mechanical recycling and advanced recycling.
Mechanical recycling
This widely-used process involves collecting, sorting, and reprocessing PVC waste into new materials without altering its chemical structure. It includes techniques like shredding and granulation and is ideal for clean, homogeneous PVC waste streams.
Due to its unique molecular structure, PVC is particularly well suited to mechanical recycling and can be recycled several times without significant loss of functional properties. Mechanical recycling remains the primary method for PVC waste management due to its established infrastructure, efficiency, and effectiveness in retaining the material’s properties.
PVC has the longest history of mechanical recycling among plastics and an above-average recycling rate. Since 2000, around 8.8 million tonnes of PVC has been recycled mechanically through VinylPlus.
Mechanical recycling generally has the lowest environmental impact compared to physical recycling, chemical recycling, and energy recovery. It is therefore considered the preferred choice for managing plastics waste, according to the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC).
Advanced recycling
Advanced recycling refers to innovative technologies that enhance the recycling of PVC and other plastics beyond conventional mechanical recycling methods.
Dissolution (physical recycling)
Dissolution, also referred to as selective dissolution and extraction, is a physical recycling process that separates PVC from other materials and removes additives while preserving the polymer’s integrity. This method is particularly effective for managing complex waste streams, such as composites and mixed plastic/PVC waste, delivering high material yields with relatively low energy consumption.
While the PVC industry has proactively replaced substances of concern in new products, older materials may still contain legacy additives due to their long service life. Dissolution addresses this challenge by extracting these additives and enabling the recovery of high-quality REACH-compliant PVC.
As a complement to mechanical recycling, dissolution enhances the industry’s capacity to process complex waste streams and advance circularity in PVC recycling.
Chemical recycling
For materials unsuitable for physical recycling, chemical recycling comes into play by breaking PVC down into its chemical components for reuse. This approach takes advantage of PVC’s composition, allowing both its hydrocarbon (43%) and chlorine (57%) fractions to be recovered:
Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis is a thermal process that converts PVC and mixed plastics into valuable products like gas, pyrolysis oil, and char at high temperatures (450-550°C). The pyrolysis oil can be further processed to produce ethylene, a key ingredient for PVC and other polymers.
A key challenge is the chlorine content in PVC, which produces hydrogen chloride (HCl) during pyrolysis. However, HCl can be captured and recycled, enabling the production of new PVC. This process reduces environmental impact and supports closed-loop plastic recycling by reusing both chlorine and ethylene.
Gasification
Gasification is an advanced thermal process that handles mixed PVC waste with high flexibility, particularly when physical recycling methods are not feasible, such as with mixed plastic waste or contaminated materials. Operating at high temperatures (typically 700–1000°C) in a limited oxygen environment, gasification converts PVC and other plastics into syngas—a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, and other gases. This syngas serves as a building block for producing ethylene or other chemicals.
Additionally, gasification enables the recovery of chlorine in the form of valuable chlorinated feedstocks, such as hydrogen chloride (HCl), which can be used to manufacture new PVC or other industrial products. The process is particularly advantageous for treating diluted or concentrated PVC mixtures that are difficult to sort and recycle using traditional methods.
Chlorine recovery
Chlorine recovery involves the thermal decomposition of PVC waste in modern waste-to-energy plants. This process facilitates the recovery of chlorine and hydrocarbons for reuse in the production of new chemicals. Additionally, some processes enable the recovery of metals, further enhancing the recycling potential and resource efficiency.
Dehydrochlorination
Dehydrochlorination is a chemical recycling process that extracts chlorine from PVC waste, producing hydrogen chloride (HCl). This recovered HCl can be reused as a raw material in manufacturing new PVC or other chlorinated products, contributing to resource efficiency and circularity in the PVC value chain.
PVC's compatibility with other polymers in chemical recycling
Importantly, chemical recycling facilities for mixed PVC polymer waste streams can ensure efficient separation of PVC from hydrocarbon polymers before pyrolysis, preventing PVC from hindering other polymers’ recycling. The separation process allows treating both fractions independently and thus maximising the yields of chemical recycling for both PVC and hydrocarbon polymers.
In addition, ongoing research aims to prove at industrial scale that PVC mixed with other polymers, can be chemically recycled via pyrolysis and gasification.
VinylPlus supports innovation in sorting, separation and advanced recycling
Europe is a frontrunner in developing sorting and advanced recycling technologies for PVC, with many technologies being developed. Here an overview of VinylPlus-supported projects:
Smart PVC & additives scanner
Advances in sorting technologies are pivotal to enhancing PVC recycling rates, supporting both conventional mechanical recycling and innovative advanced recycling techniques.
Recent developments have expanded the use of sophisticated technologies, including Near-Infrared (NIR) and Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) spectroscopy, Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), and Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). These methods leverage unique spectral fingerprints and chemical compositions to precisely identify and sort PVC from municipal waste streams and mixed plastics.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are being actively integrated to process sensor data more effectively, significantly boosting sorting accuracy and efficiency.
Supported by VinylPlus, a handheld scanner has been developed to identify PVC and legacy additives such as DEHP in medical PVC waste collected through VinylPlus® Med. This scanner represents a critical advancement toward inline sorting of PVC waste containing legacy plasticisers.
Building on these achievements, ongoing feasibility studies and pilot projects aim to address key challenges in PVC recycling, including:
Plasticiser identification: Advanced methods are being tested to detect and quantify plasticisers like DEHP, DINP, DIDP, and BBP in cables, flooring, and medical products. Recent feasibility studies have demonstrated that both NIR and SWIR techniques can uniquely identify plasticiser types in PVC samples, even at varying concentrations
Lead detection: XRF technology has been successfully employed for detecting lead in PVC products. This approach has proven to be reliable and adaptable for industrial production, distinguishing lead-contaminated PVC granulates with high accuracy. A pilot plant utilising XRF for inline lead detection is in development, integrating advanced features such as real-time analysis and operator-friendly systems
MCCP detection: Preliminary studies have shown promising results in identifying medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) in PVC waste. Detection thresholds as low as 1% have been achieved, paving the way for more comprehensive sorting systems
Future developments include the deployment of laboratory scanners for quantifying plasticisers within black PVC samples and the assembly of XRF pilot plants to refine inline sorting capabilities. These efforts aim to integrate NIR and XRF technologies into a unified industrial system, enabling the detection and sorting of lead, plasticisers, and MCCPs across diverse PVC waste streams.
These advancements are setting the stage for scaling up to full-scale industrial applications, driving sustainable PVC recycling and promoting compliance with evolving regulatory standards.
EUPolySep
The EUPolySep project, which has VinylPlus’ founding member EuPC as partner, aims to set up a pilot plant in Belgium to separate PVC from complex laminated products.
The Australian PVC Separation technology was selected to be tested at pilot scale.
This innovative process allows polymers to be delaminated and separated from polymer-composite structures for subsequent recycling. A pilot plant built in Australia has been shipped to Belgium and installed at Centexbel, with first tests on composite PVC being scheduled.
Next-generation dissolution technologies
The Vinyloop® technology, supported by VinylPlus, was a pioneering dissolution-based recycling method that significantly advanced PVC recycling. Operated from 2002 to 2018, the Vinyloop® plant had a capacity of 10,000 tonnes per year and was initially designed to recycle PVC cables, recovering copper as a byproduct. It later expanded to recover PVC-coated PET fibers through the Texyloop® process. However, despite its success, Vinyloop operations ceased as the plant was not designed to remove legacy additives or fillers from the PVC compound.
Building on this foundation, VinylPlus and its partners are developing next-generation dissolution-extraction/selective dissolution technologies. These aim to further improve removal of impurities such as other plastics and address key challenges such as the removal of legacy additives such as DEHP, lead, and cadmium, enabling compliance with today’s regulations.
One notable initiative is the VinylPlus® PharmPack project, which employs the CreaSolv® dissolution process to separate PVC from aluminum in pharmaceutical blister packaging. This innovative approach aims to produce high-quality recycled PVC for new rigid films and recycled aluminum for electric vehicle components and other critical applications.
Pilot-scale tests have validated the process. The recycled PVC is currently undergoing testing to ensure it meets the standards required for new rigid films, excluding pharmaceutical and food contact use.
REMADYL
The Horizon 2020 REMADYL project successfully addressed the challenge of removing hazardous legacy phthalates and lead from end-of-life PVC, recycling it into high-purity, REACH-compliant PVC. This groundbreaking initiative developed an innovative continuous one-step process using extractive extrusion technology combined with advanced solvents and melt filtration.
Key achievements included reducing the risk of legacy substances in recycled materials, significantly increasing the recycling rate, and producing secondary raw materials with enhanced purity and quality. The project demonstrated effective solutions for PVC waste sorting, plasticizer extraction (DEHP), and stabilizer extraction (Pb and Cd), laying the groundwork for industrial applications.
A prototype system for detecting and sorting PVC containing legacy substances was developed and validated at an industrial scale. Additionally, pilot-scale trials for continuous extractive extrusion were initiated, offering valuable insights into further upscaling requirements.
VinylPlus was a member of REMADYL’s consortium and participated actively in the project.
ARCUS Greencycling
Technologies
ARCUS Greencycling Technologies GmbH's pyrolysis technology is a chemical recycling process that converts mixed plastic waste, including PVC, into valuable pyrolysis oil. This oil can subsequently be used as a feedstock in a steam cracker to produce olefins, thereby contributing to a more circular economy for plastics.
In 2024, a collaborative effort between VinylPlus and ARCUS demonstrated that the pyrolysis of a polyolefin feedstock containing up to 10% PVC waste can lead to a pyrolysis oil eligible as a steam cracker feedstock.
VinylPlus® RecoChlor
VinylPlus® RecoChlor is a programme dedicated to the PVC waste treatment methodology to recover and recycle chlorine from difficult-to-recycle end-of-life PVC products. In the RecoChlor chemical recycling process, selected PVC wastes are thermally decomposed in modern waste-to-energy plants.
These enable chlorine to be recovered either in the form of sodium chloride (RecoSalt, dry process) or as diluted hydrochloric acid (RecoAcid, wet process). The hydrocarbon part is used for energy recovery. Both RecoSalt and RecoAcid processes lead at the end to the production of new chemical substances that can be sold on the market.
In the RecoSalt process, the gaseous hydrochloric acid created by the thermal decomposition of PVC is neutralised by sodium bicarbonate (SOLVAir® process), and the resulting sodium chloride is recovered, purified, and finally used to produce new chemical substances (e.g., sodium carbonate). The recovery of sodium chloride from flue gas treatment residues is recognised as a recycling operation in the BAT Reference Document for Waste Treatment.
The RecoAcid process is based on the FLUWA technology (see here and here) which will be obligatory in Swiss municipal waste-to-energy plants from 2026. Its scope is to increase acid production in flue-gas scrubbers and use the generated acid to recover and recycle metals contained in filter ashes. Some of the metals that can be recovered for recycling (e.g., antimony, nickel or copper) have been recently identified as Critical or Strategic Raw Materials by the European Commission.
Municipal waste-to-energy plants do not generate enough raw acid by treating household wastes, and the supply gap can be covered either by technical-grade hydrochloric acid bought on the market or by in-situ hydrochloric acid generated from mechanically non-recyclable PVC wastes.
HaloSep
HaloSep is an innovative process designed to recover chlorine from incineration waste residues, such as fly ash and scrubber liquids. The process extracts chlorine in the form of calcium chloride (CaCl₂), which can be used in applications like road de-icing, and also recovers valuable metals such as zinc. This not only contributes to resource efficiency and waste reduction but also eliminates the need to landfill neutralization residues as hazardous waste.
Supported by the EU LIFE programme and previously partly funded by VinylPlus, HaloSep operates at full scale at Denmark's largest municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) and has been proposed as a Best Available Technique (BAT) to the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Projects by the VinylPlus network
In addition to projects directly initiated or supported by VinylPlus, our partners and founding members are deeply involved in developing advanced recycling technologies.
INEOS Inovyn
Project Circle by INEOS Inovyn is advancing cutting-edge recycling technologies to remove contaminants like other plastics from PVC and to process PVC waste with legacy additives. Building on the Vinyloop technology, their dissolution technology has successfully extracted lead, cadmium, and low molecular weight phthalates such as DEHP from flexible PVC, and lead and cadmium from rigid PVC, achieving REACH compliance. Two pilot plants in Belgium confirm its efficiency, with an industrial unit targeted by 2030.
Additionally, INEOS Inovyn is developing pyrolysis and gasification technologies. Pyrolysis focuses on HCl extraction and carbon recovery for rPVC production, while gasification aims to produce syngas for methanol or ethanol and recover chlorine as HCl.
Kem One/REHAU
Kem One, in collaboration with REHAU and Meraxis Group, is developing an innovative selective dissolution process to remove heavy metals like lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) from post-consumer rigid PVC waste, including pipes, fittings, and profiles. This process utilises bio-sourced solvents, offering a safer alternative to conventional options such as MEK and THF.
A pilot plant is currently being established at the Research Center in Saint-Fons, with an industrial demonstrator planned for 2027 and a full-scale facility of over 10 kT capacity targeted by 2030. The process ensures full recycling of solvents and additives, achieving a sustainable closed-loop system. Once separated, the purified PVC is reprocessed, and the extracted heavy metals are precipitated as salts for safe handling.
Vynova
Vynova has launched a cutting-edge R&D programme in collaboration with academic institutions. The initiative aims to develop innovative technologies that combine dissolution and membrane filtration to effectively remove heavy metals, such as lead and cadmium, from dissolved rigid post-consumer PVC waste, including profiles and pipes.
Currently in the research phase, the project holds the potential to provide expanded and viable recycling options. If successful, Vynova plans to move towards industrial-scale implementation by 2030, supporting the PVC industry’s drive toward sustainable and compliant recycling solutions.
Serge Ferrari
Serge Ferrari is collaborating with Polyloop to advance recycling technologies for flexible composite PVC, drawing on Texyloop technology. Polyloop targets the recycling of complex PVC materials often deemed non-recyclable and destined for landfills due to their multi-layered structures.
Through innovative processes such as selective dissolution and precipitation, Polyloop provides a compact and user-friendly solution for industries producing post-industrial, pre-consumer, or end-of-life flexible composite PVC waste. This technology addresses diverse sectors, including construction, transport, outdoor products, medical, and leather goods, enabling the recovery of valuable materials while reducing environmental impact.
Baerlocher
Baerlocher has developed a procedure to remove legacy additives, such as lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd), from post-consumer PVC waste.
Consortia
VinylPlus partners and founding members are involved in several European consortia on advanced recycling. Discover some of the projects:
DISSOLV
The DISSOLV consortium, led by Beaulieu International Group, brings together industry leaders to push the boundaries of PVC recycling through advanced dissolution technology. INEOS Inovyn provides the technology to separate PVC from other materials and remove legacy additives, enabling high-quality recycled PVC for reuse in its original applications.
ExxonMobil is developing solutions for plasticiser recovery, while Sioen Industries focuses on polyester fiber valorisation. Beaulieu International Group, Empire Carpet, and Sioen Industries contribute PVC waste and will also reintegrate the recycled PVC into new flooring, carpet backing, and tarpaulins. Centexbel provides analytical expertise to support the process.
This three-year project aims to demonstrate improved dissolution technology at a pilot scale, making it possible to recycle PVC waste for applications that were previously unfeasible due to legacy additives.
CIRC-PVC
INEOS Inovyn is actively participating in the Belgian consortium CIRC-PVC, which addresses the entire PVC recycling chain—from collecting waste at construction and demolition sites to producing rejuvenated PVC free from legacy additives.
H2 Reallabor – ChemDelta Bavaria
As part of the H2 Reallabor Burghausen – ChemDelta Bavaria initiative, Westlake Vinnolit is advancing innovative solutions for the climate-neutral transformation of the chemical industry. This project, running from 2023 to 2027, focuses on integrating hydrogen (H2) technologies and recycling methods to support the transition towards a sustainable economy.
In Work Package 4, the project explores new technologies for recycling and utilising residual materials to produce essential chemicals. One priority is the thermo-chemical conversion of complex residual materials, including mixed plastics and chlorine-containing waste, through pyrolysis and plasma gasification technologies. These processes aim to produce H2-rich synthesis gas, pure hydrogen, and solid carbon, contributing to closed material cycles and reducing emissions.
Pilot plant containers are being installed during the project, with finalisation targeted for 2027. This initiative exemplifies the chemical industry’s commitment to innovation and sustainability.
Circular Flooring
The EU Horizon 2020 Circular Flooring project, which concluded in July 2024, involved Westlake Vinnolit, Akdeniz Chemson, and sector organisation ERFMI in developing a circular recycling process for post-consumer PVC flooring, focusing on high-quality recyclates and the safe treatment of legacy plasticisers
Key milestones included the establishment of a pilot plant, customisation of the CreaSolv process, development of REACH-compliant plasticisers through hydrogenation, creation of high-performance PVC formulations, and the design of a demonstration plant.
The project confirmed the economic and environmental sustainability of the process, paving the way for circular PVC flooring solutions.
Other advanced recycling technologies
Gasification is a high-temperature reaction with restricted amounts of air, oxygen, or steam. It converts PVC waste into syngas, which can be used to produce chemicals such as methanol, ammonia, and oxo-aldehydes, or for making fuels. The chlorine in PVC is liberated as water-soluble HCl, which can be scrubbed and reclaimed. Below are examples of specific gasification technologies and their unique approaches to managing PVC waste.
Sumitomo Metals
The Sumitomo process is a waste-gasification and secondary-ash melting system for plastic waste using iron-making and steel-making technologies. This process developed in Japan is able to treat both mixed plastics waste and pure PVC waste.
The gasifier consists of a packed (“fixed”) bed at a temperature of 2,000°C and a fluidised bed at the top of the reactor at a temperature of 800 to 1,100°C. The reactor operates close to atmospheric pressure with a reduced atmosphere to avoid formation of dioxins or furans. The ash residue in the gasifier is melted in the smelting furnace and removed from the bottom of the gasifier. The furnace is equipped with top and sideway oxygen blow lances, ensuring a local temperature above 2,000°C. Plastic waste with low calorific value needs additional coke or wood as a carbon source for steady operation. PVC waste has a low calorific value and therefore needs more additional coke than other plastics waste (7-10% for PVC).
Ecoloop
The German plant which produced syngas from plastic waste and biomass could also cope with chlorinated waste. It produced syngas, which was used to generate energy for lime production, and calcium chloride.
Ebara
Ebara’s gasification process, known as ‘Twin Internally revolving Fluidized bed Gasifier’, is combined with its well-proven technology for ash melting – the ‘Meltox’ process. This process – known as EUP (Ebara-Ube Process) – uses a cyclonic combustion chamber to turn the solid residues into a stable granulated slag that can be recycled. The low-temperature gasification takes place at 600-800°C, and the secondary high-temperature gasification at 1,350°C. Both reactors are operated at about 10 bars.
The process is developed to treat mixed plastics waste, with a chlorine limit of 5%, although it could probably accept higher chlorine contents with some design adaptations. At the moment, pure PVC cannot be treated in this process.
Two commercial plants are currently operating in Japan. The syngas produced can also be used in other applications, including methanol, H2, fuel cells and energy production. The chlorine is recovered as NH4Cl(s), which is used as a fertiliser agent.
Dehydrochlorination involves mild degradation processes that remove chlorine from PVC in an initial step, preparing the material for further treatment through methods like gasification or pyrolysis. The process can occur under pressure in water, in ionic high-boiling liquids, or through dry methods such as melting or hydrogenation. By efficiently extracting chlorine, dehydrochlorination supports the recovery of valuable components and enhances the overall sustainability of PVC recycling.
Dehydrochlorination in water
The REDOP process targets the mixed plastic fraction from municipal waste, which usually contains around 1% chlorine, with ranges 0.5 to 5.0 wt.%.
The process is broken down in the following steps:
- Post separation of plastic and paper from municipal solid waste;
- Separation of the mixed plastics fraction from the paper fraction;
- Dechlorination of the mixed plastics fraction;
- Co-injection (together with coal) into a blast furnace for the production of pig iron.
Of special interest is the dechlorination step, using a novel process patented by chemical company DSM. Mixed plastics waste is heated batch-wise in a stirred reactor. Degradation products from the cellulose still present act as emulsifiers, helping to stabilise the slurry. The released HCl is dissolved in water. The non-PVC plastics melt into droplets. When the reactor is cooled down, the plastic droplets solidify and yield granules that only need filtering, washing and drying.
The Alzchem plant has a production capacity of 150,000 tonnes per year of calcium carbide and it strives to use as much plastic waste as possible. A pilot project is run in Germany to eliminate as much chlorine as possible before entering the reactor, with an upstream extruder operating at temperatures which can degrade PVC. The resulting HCl could be sold as a water solution.
Dehydrochlorination in ionic liquids
A team at KU Leuven in Belgium has been studying dehydrochlorination of PVC in ionic liquid media. These liquids are essentially non-volatile even at elevated temperatures (250°C and more). This allows for evacuation of the HCl by vacuum or a gas stream, thus avoiding salt formation by reaction of the HCl with caustic soda.