Ineos Olefins & Polymers Europe Launch Recycled Plastic Production
Ineos Olefins & Polymers in Lavera, Southern France, has received the first deliveries of an innovative feedstock made from recycling plastic waste. This product, called pyrolysis oil, will be used to manufacture recycled polymers, helping its customers meet the EU requirements for food contact, medical and sensitive plastic packaging to have a minimum of 10% recycled content by 2030.
Ineos has introduced new product grades designed to meet stringent EU regulatory requirements for applications such as caps and closures, milk bottles, and water pipes.
To enable the production of these materials from renewable naphtha—sourced from biomass, organic waste, or recycled materials—part of the Lavera cracker was adapted to process both renewable and traditional feedstocks. The site is also utilizing pyrolysis oil, produced in Europe from post-consumer plastic packaging waste that cannot be mechanically recycled, through a process known as advanced recycling. This oil is used in the cracker to manufacture recycled ethylene and propylene, which are then converted into virgin-quality, recycled polyethylene and polypropylene at Ineos polymer plants in Lavera and Sarralbe (France), and Rosignano (Italy).
These renewable products are independently certified under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) scheme, ensuring that renewable feedstocks are tracked throughout the production process using mass balance principles and that all renewable and recycled claims are verified.
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has established ambitious recycling targets for 2030 and 2040. Advanced recycling technologies are essential in meeting the increasing demand for recycled materials and achieving minimum recycled content levels in plastic packaging. This technology supports the production of end products that can be recycled multiple times, promoting circularity and reducing reliance on fossil-based raw materials, while helping to prevent plastic waste from ending up in landfills or incineration.
Located 30 miles west of Marseille, the Lavera site is one of the largest petrochemical facilities in Europe. The cracker and polymer plants have been wholly owned by Ineos since April 2024.
Rob Ingram, CEO of Ineos Olefins & Polymers Europe, commented: “At Ineos, we recognise that delivering a circular economy requires both ambition and action. While mechanical recycling remains essential, advanced recycling plays a critical role in expanding the potential for plastics recycling and closing the loop - particularly for high-performance applications. We are making real and tangible progress. By converting our cracker in Lavera and securing access to pyrolysis oil, we are building the capability needed to produce virgin-quality polymers from recycled feedstocks. These materials will help our customers meet the EU’s stringent regulatory targets and sustainability goals.
“We are committed to accelerating circularity by working with partners and leveraging our full portfolio of circular solutions, including our Recycl-IN hybrid polymers and our pilot line for fully recyclable MDO films. This is INEOS driving innovation with purpose.”
