NOVA Chemicals has commissioned its first polyethylene (PE) film recycling facility, referred to as SYNDIGO1, located in Connersville, Indiana, US.
The facility is claimed to be one of the most advanced of its kind globally, spanning 450,000ft2.
It is expected to recycle 145,000 bales of end-of-life plastic film annually, producing over 100 million pounds of recycled PE suitable for various packaging applications.
The facility is set to be fully operational by early 2026 and will play a significant role in mechanically recycling PE film and producing high-quality recycled PE.
NOVA Chemicals CEO Roger Kearns said: “At NOVA, we have decades of experience in developing products that make our lives better. As of today, we’re not only a petrochemicals producer but also a recycler of polyethylene. We’re diverting plastic waste from landfills and turning it into new, quality products that help keep our food fresh or safely transport goods and materials to store shelves.”
In July 2023, NOVA Chemicals unveiled its plans to build the facility and collaborate with Novolex for its operation.
The facility’s mechanical recycling process received a letter of non-objection from the US Food and Drug Administration in 2024, confirming its ability to produce rLLDPE suitable for food-contact applications.
By April 2025, the facility had achieved Recycled Material Standard certification, verifying that the recycled polyethylene produced is 100% post-consumer recycled content.
NOVA Chemicals is partnering with manufacturers and distributors, including Charter Next Generation, M.Holland, Osterman & Company, Petoskey Plastics, PolyExpert, Pregis, Sigma Plastics Group, and Winpak, to incorporate recycled polyethylene into flexible packaging.
With the demand for post-consumer recycled plastic expected to triple by 2030, NOVA Chemicals’ survey indicates strong consumer support for increased use of recycled material in packaging.
SYNDIGO1 will source high-quality feedstock by collaborating with major US retailers and distribution centres to collect back-of-store polyethylene film. This process will divert, on average 400 bales of plastic film each day from landfills, equivalent to filling four professional football fields annually.
The recycled plastic film will be processed into pellets and sold as NOVA Chemicals’ SYNDIGO recycled linear, low-density polyethylene (rLLDPE), meeting FDA compliance for a range of food packaging applications.
This initiative supports the circular economy by adding recycled content to food packaging, from pantry staples to freezer items.
In conjunction with the facility’s opening, NOVA Chemicals has contributed $25,000 to the Fayette Community Foundation to establish the NOVA Chemicals Community Impact Fund.
This fund will support local initiatives, with the Lilly Endowment’s GIFT VIII initiative providing an additional $50,000 through a matching grant.
In March 2024, NOVA Chemicals announced the establishment of its Centre of Excellence for Plastics Circularity in Alberta, Canada.
