Recent developments
Polymer circularity
Borealis and Borouge introduced Recleo recycled polyolefins, combining post-industrial and post-consumer streams for mobility, construction, and consumer goods, with certifications aligned to EU rules. In healthcare, Covestro and Allmed are preparing trials to recover polycarbonate from used dialysis filters, testing a circular model for medical waste. Upstream, a planned Nouryon customer experience and innovation center in Itupeva will develop bio-based chelates and biopolymer personal care formulations for regional markets.
Critical materials recovery
AGC secured the first UL2809 third-party verification for a PTFE resin manufactured with recycled fluorite, addressing resource constraints in fluorine supply chains. For batteries, Toray unveiled nanofiltration membrane technology resistant to sulfuric acid leachate, selectively recovering >95% lithium across chemistries and targeting scale-up for domestic and international recycling.
Waste to chemicals
Worley is engineering multiple landfill gas upgrading facilities using Archaea’s Modular Design to produce pipeline-quality RNG from flared biogas, standardizing FEED through detailed design and procurement services. In industrial wastewater, HydroThane revamps leadership to accelerate anaerobic digestion projects and expand into sustainable fuels and plastics recycling, leveraging Axens’ global footprint.
Wind asset reuse
RWE advanced circularity in wind assets: the repowering of its Muel wind farm achieved 99.82% recovery with RenerCycle refurbishing components and targeting fiberglass and resin reuse, and the Lasbek wind farm modernization combined higher output with reuse pathways such as BladeReUse for rotor blades and redeployment of components.
Transparency and ratings
Investors and customers saw more transparency: Indorama led ChemScore 2025 on chemical management and phase-out of persistent substances. Brenntag received the German Sustainability Award and reported Scope 1–3 reductions supported by an internal carbon price and low-carbon products. Evonik published Environmental Product Declarations for silane-based building protection, anticipating construction-sector disclosure requirements.
Strategy and clusters
Portfolio moves emphasized decarbonization and circularity: UPM is preparing first deliveries from the Leuna biorefinery for bio-based chemicals and fuels while restructuring graphic paper via a JV with Sappi. Ercros joined the Circlear circular economy cluster to collaborate on regional resource efficiency. In the Middle East, Aramco and ExxonMobil are evaluating the Samref refinery upgrade and petrochemical expansion to raise efficiency and produce lower-emission chemicals.