Update: PureCycle completes construction of Ohio PP purification plant

PureCycle Technologies Inc., headquartered in Orlando, Florida, has completed construction of its polypropylene (PP) purification plant in Ironton, Ohio. The company submitted documentation for formal certification of completion to Leidos Engineering LLC, the site’s independent construction monitor.

PureCycle CEO Dustin Olson tells Recycling Today that the company's bondholders hired Leidos to monitor and certify the project upon completion. The certification is required to achieve key milestones in connection with financing for the facility. 

Olson says the company prepared final closure documentation consistent with Leidos' requirements and received that certification from Leidos on May 1.

"Formal certification from our independent construction monitor is another important step in PureCycle's journey to successfully scale up this technology," Olson says. "This is the culmination of thousands of hours of work from individuals who are committed to our mission to revolutionize plastic into a renewable resource. With this certification, our Ironton team closes the first milestone and can fully focus on the production of our [ultra-pure recycled] pellets."

Independent of the Leidos certification process, PureCycle says its Ironton facility will now begin operational prestartup, perform safety review processes and prepare for initial pellet production. PureCycle estimates pellet production will begin in the second quarter of the year. Olson adds, “It’s difficult to pinpoint specific [start] dates since there are so many moving parts. ... But we are confident with where we are; we're on track with the process we set in place.”

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PureCycle says its technology can remove contaminants, colors and odors from PP scrap. Once fully operational, the company plans to produce 107 million pounds of ultra-pure recycled (UPR) resin annually at its Ironton facility, making high-quality recycled PP plastic more accessible at scale.

“[This year] will continue to be an exciting year for PureCycle as we kick off operations at our flagship facility in Ironton," Olson says. "Now that construction is complete, we can begin our ramp-up plan and start producing UPR pellets. We can’t wait to bring our sustainable, high-quality, no-compromise UPR resin to our customers and start to create a truly circular economy for plastics.”  

PureCycle also is in the process of constructing a site in Augusta, Georgia. With work on these two sites underway, Olson says the company has "a lot of avenues" for PP feedstock to supply the facilities and adds that the company is currently in the financing stage for its Augusta facility, with some equipment already on site. PureCycle also has announced plans to build one to four plants in Antwerp, Belgium, as well as proposed projects in South Korea and Japan.

Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble Co.’s (P&G’s) scientists developed PureCycle’s patented process for making high-quality recycled resin, and PureCycle licenses this process for other companies.

“We are very proud to see this technology commercialized," says Victor Aguilar, chief research, development and innovation officer at Procter & Gamble. "This is an important step toward making recycled materials more readily integrated into products and packaging and consistent with P&G’s interest in enabling more sustainable solutions for our industry.”

Once production begins, Olson says the company plans to supply prospective customers with samples of UPR. He says, "There are a lot of people who have interest in our product. We have a supply that no one else has, and in that respect, we're in really great shape. And I can tell you, yes, there's global demand for it." 

Additionally, PureCycle says its purification plant will provide the Ironton community with 80 to 100 high-wage jobs.

“This has been a decades-long effort to take this concept from idea to paper to steel,” Olson adds. “We’re proud of all the work that’s been done both from people before us as well as people today, and we’re very appreciative of all of the suppliers and partners and investors that have trusted us with their time and their resources to get us to where we are today.”