Emerson, PureCycle Technologies partner to boost recycling of polypropylene

Industrial software and technology firm Emerson has signed a multi-year agreement with recycler PureCycle Technologies Inc. to provide advanced digital technologies and automation for a network of global facilities, enabling large-scale recycling of polypropylene, which is a common – but rarely recycled – plastic.

Emerson’s Plantweb digital ecosystem was chosen for the breadth of digital solutions, including intelligent sensors and control valves, advanced operations software and systems, cloud data management and analytics.

“Unlike traditional manufacturing facilities coping with transforming legacy platforms to digital, PureCycle’s progressive approach will enable all future facilities to be born digital,” said Dustin Olson, chief manufacturing officer of PureCycle, which is headquartered in Orlando, Fla. “With Emerson’s help, each PureCycle facility is expected to start up with the most advanced digital automation technologies available, allowing for faster project completion, fully integrated systems and world-class operating performance.”

Polypropylene, identified as resin recycling code #5, is one of the world’s most frequently produced, versatile and widely used plastics in the world. Despite more than 170 billion tons being produced each year, less than one per cent is reclaimed annually for recycling and reuse, PureCycle said.

“PureCycle’s first-of-its-kind technology purifies waste plastic to remove color, odor and other contaminants to create a near-virgin ultra-pure recycled polypropylene suitable for nearly any application,” Olson said.

“Sustainability is driving incredible innovation across the industry,” said Mike Train, chief sustainability officer of Emerson. “Emerson’s digital automation software and technologies are helping companies like PureCycle make practical and measurable progress toward these goals today.”