Within this context, Sulzer is supporting a kiloton-scale pilot project to evaluate solvent-based recycling of waste HDPE under industrially relevant conditions. The pilot is being developed through a tripartite cooperation framework agreement with Henan Pingyuan New Material Technology Co., Ltd. and Cevia Renewable Resources Technology  Co., Ltd., and was formally signed during Chinaplas 2026 in Shanghai.  

Bridging the gap between laboratory and industrial application 

Solvent-based recycling has attracted growing interest as a potential alternative to conventional mechanical and chemical recycling routes. Mechanical recycling can result in limited material performance, while chemical recycling approaches often face challenges related to cost and complexity. 

The objective of this pilot project is to assess whether solvent-based processes can be scaled from laboratory research to a kiloton-scale industrial operation, while maintaining material quality and process stability. Rather than focusing on immediate commercialization, the program is designed to generate data and operational insights that can inform future technology development and decision-making.  

Addressing quality requirements in premium applications 

Demand for recycled HDPE is growing particularly in applications with stringent quality requirements, such as food packaging, automotive components, and electronics. However, achieving the necessary purity and performance levels remains a key barrier for many recycling technologies. 

The pilot will explore how solvent-based recycling could contribute to producing recycled HDPE with more consistent and predictable properties, potentially enabling its use in higher-value applications where quality standards are more demanding.  

A collaborative, innovation-focused approach 

The pilot project is structured around a collaboration between three partners with clearly defined and complementary roles, which is a key element of its design. 

Henan Pingyuan New Material Technology Co., Ltd. acts as the project implementation partner, contributing its industrial base, detailed understanding of HDPE waste streams, and experience from existing recycling operations. Cevia Renewable Resources Technology (Henan) Co., Ltd. participates as a key investor and infrastructure developer, bringing long-term commitment and experience in the realization of large-scale industrial projects. 

Sulzer contributes as a technology and engineering partner, drawing on its experience as a global leader in chemical process design and scale-up. Its role focuses on ensuring that the processes evaluated at pilot scale are engineered in a way that can, if validated, be replicated safely, reliably, and economically at larger scale. 

This clarity of roles and alignment of interests enables the collaboration to remain focused on learning and validation, ensuring that technical, operational, and scalability considerations are addressed in parallel throughout the pilot phase.