US recycling specialist PureCycle Technologies (Orlando, Florida; www.purecycletech.com) plans to expand the production of its ultra-pure recycled (UPR) polypropylene resin immediately, following a groundbreaking ceremony and initial construction activities on its second US plastics waste purification facility in Augusta, Georgia.

The second facility, located in Augusta Corporate Park, is designed to transform waste No. 5 plastics (PP) into ultra-pure rPP using a patented solvent-based purification recycling technology developed by Procter & Gamble. PureCycle holds a global license to commercialise the technology, which can process a wide range of waste PP with varying levels of contamination into PP suitable for any of its markets.

The company expects the first two purification lines at its second facility to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2023, with a capacity to produce almost 118,000 t/y of rPP. The location can support up to eight purification lines with a capability to collectively produce more than 454,000 t/y of recycled plastics, said Mike Otworth, PureCycle CEO. Not too long ago, the recycling specialist had announced a USD 250 mn (EUR 227 mn) private equity raise, which will help support the build out of the Augusta facility.

Last year, PureCycle had announced the construction of a 59,000 t/y PP reclaim facility at the same site (see Plasteurope.com of 06.08.2021). The company could not be reached for a comment.