Milan, 29 March, 2024 – Another strategic milestone for NEXTCHEM (Sustainable Technology Solutions): its subsidiary NextChem Tech has been selected as engineering and technology partner for a new plastic upcycling project to be implemented in Modena by Aliplast, a company part of Hera Group and responsible for the recycling and conversion of plastic waste. This innovative project was presented today in attendance by the Mayor of Modena, Hera Group CEO and Aliplast CEO. When fully operational, the plant will process up to 30,000 tons per year of polyolefin rigid plastic waste.

NextChem Tech is NEXTCHEM’s subsidiary dedicated to the development of innovative solutions for the decarbonization of industrial processes. NextChem Tech’s expertise consists of a mechanical upcycling process to produce high purity recycled and compounded polymers. These recycled polymers (so-called “r-polymers”) are suitable to replace fossil-based virgin materials in several industrial applications (such as automotive, pressure and irrigation pipes, home appliances and gardening, building applications, etc.), effectively meeting the growing demand driven by regulatory pressures and off-takers’ voluntary commitments.

Such expertise is the result of MAIRE’s historical track-record in polymers, which has been further extended in the last years to the industrial plant in Bedizzole (near Brescia, Italy), owned by NextChem Tech’s subsidiary. Thanks to MAIRE’s know-how, the plant has enhanced the production capacity up to 40,000 tons per year of polyolefin rigid plastic waste through an innovative approach.  

Mohammed Nafid, CEO of NextChem Tech, commented: “We are pleased to have been selected by Aliplast as technological partner for this important project. The recycling sector needs a sustainable development model based on technology, innovation and product quality. NextChem Tech’s expertise allows to invert the common and usual “waste-to-market" approach into a customer driven "products-from-waste” strategy, where materials derived from fossil feedstock are replaced by virgin-grade compounded r-polymers".