New Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) India can solve its enormous plastic waste problem and replace a significant amount of its naphtha imports by scaling up advanced chemical recycling technologies, with a Chandigarh-based
startup leading the charge through a cost-efficient, modular process ready for rapid deployment.
India produces about 9.3 million tonnes of plastic waste yearly, the highest globally, according to a 2024 Nature study. Flexible packaging like polythene bags and pouches– mostly polyolefins (PE and PP) – forms the bulk that mechanical recycling cannot efficiently handle.
"The challenge of plastics really happens at its end of life," said Amit Tandon, founder and CEO of startup firm PolyCycl, who has dedicated over a decade to developing a chemical recycling technology that processes non-multilayer polyolefin packaging into pyrolysis oil.
PolyCycl's Contiflow Cracker Generation VI, a patented chemical recycling technology launched in early 2025, converts hard-to-recycle into high value products. Developed over a decade with 150-plus man-years of R and D, the technology offers a novel solution for plastic pollution.
The system integrates a fully continuous thermo-chemical pyrolysis process with refining to convert low-grade plastics like single-use bags and contaminated packaging into liquefied hydrocarbon oils that undergo multi-stage purification, yielding food-grade polymers, renewable chemicals and fuels.
Traditional mechanical recycling –the dominant method globally with rates of just 10-12 per cent –involves sorting, washing, shredding and melting clean plastics into granules, often resulting in lower-quality products unsuitable for food-grade uses.
"In India, around 70 per cent of FMCG packaging is in a flexible format, much of which ends up in landfills," Tandon said.
The technology enables "true circularity" at the molecular level, producing resins for food-grade plastics, sustainable aviation fuels and renewable chemicals, while cutting fossil resource use by 75-90 per cent and CO2 emissions by over 40 per cent, Tandon said.
Experts estimate that India's 5.7-5.9 million tonnes of non-multilayer polyolefin packaging could produce about 4 million tonnes of pyrolysis oil annually at 70 per cent efficiency. This oil serves as a direct substitute for naphtha in petrochemical plants, potentially offsetting a substantial chunk of imports.
India's naphtha imports reached around 3 million tonnes in the 2024-25 fiscal year, though total consumption exceeds 12 million tonnes amid growing demand.
"Production costs are lower than fossil oil, with market premiums due to high demand for renewable oils," Tandon said.
Unlike batch processing systems, PolyCycl's technology operates round-the-clock, with sorted polyolefin feedstock fed continuously into the reactor. The modular architecture reduces capital costs by 50-75 per cent compared to similar technologies in the US and EU.
"The fully continuous design is crucial for scalability," Tandon said, noting that chemical recycling produces hydrocarbons with "limitless demand" in the petrochemical sector.
Established in 2016, PolyCycl's modular plants of 15-100 tonnes per day capacity have lower capital costs than global peers and strong economics, with potential EBITDAs over 50 per cent.
The company, which has its main R and D center located in Kalka, Haryana, is in advanced discussions with four to five potential licensees, aiming for one to two reference plants in India over the next two years, with global licensing potential.
As Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules tighten recycled content mandates, Tandon called for stronger enforcement with monetary penalties to ensure compliance.
"We can build and license from India for the rest of the world. Petrochemical majors have an interest in receiving these materials to make circular polymers," Tandon said.
The technology's modular design and compatibility with existing petrochemical infrastructure position it for rapid scale-up, potentially reducing India's naphtha imports and turning waste into a domestic resource. PTI LUX DR
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