MAIRE’s Nextchem brings 95% yield plastic recycling technology to Africa, Asia

SOUTHERN AFRICA – MAIRE’s Nextchem has been awarded two feasibility studies in Southern Africa and Southeast Asia for mechanical upcycling plants based on its proprietary NX Replast™ technology, which achieves a 95 percent recovery rate and produces recycled polymers with properties matching virgin materials.

The projects mark a significant expansion of advanced plastic recycling into emerging markets.

In Southern Africa, a major local industrial player is developing a facility designed to process approximately 25,000 tonnes per annum of post-consumer and post-industrial polyolefin waste into high-quality compounded r-polymers.

This represents one of the first circular economy initiatives in the region.

By the Numbers: Technology Performance

The NX Replast platform, already operational at Nextchem’s Bedizzole plant in Italy, demonstrates impressive performance metrics.

The facility currently produces over 40,000 tonnes of recycled polymers annually, processing a wide range of plastic waste including automotive components and industrial packaging.

The mechanical recycling process achieves a 95 percent recovery rate, significantly higher than traditional methods.

The Southern Africa feasibility study will cover process configuration, cost evaluation, and preliminary engineering works.

 A second feasibility study has been awarded for a 40,000 tonne-per-annum plant in Southeast Asia.

Technology That Matches Virgin Quality

The NX Replast platform integrates advanced sorting, treatment, and compounding processes. Waste materials are carefully separated by polymer type and color, improving input quality.

Predictive algorithms optimize formulations, reducing extruder runs during production.

The result is recycled polymers with technical properties comparable to virgin equivalents, a critical requirement for packaging, automotive, and consumer goods industries.

Fabio Fritelli, Managing Director of Nextchem, explained that these new contracts confirm the global reach of the company’s circular technology offering.

He noted that the platform is increasingly being selected as a reliable, competitive, and scalable solution for advanced plastic upcycling in new markets.

Proven Track Record Beyond Europe

The technology’s international viability has already been demonstrated through a previous deployment by GCB Polymers in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, confirming its adaptability to different regulatory and environmental contexts.

The Bedizzole plant serves as both an industrial recycling hub and a demonstration center for potential international licensees.

What This Means for Recycling

For the packaging industry across Africa and Asia, these projects signal a significant shift toward locally based circular economy infrastructure.

By establishing advanced mechanical upcycling capacity in regions that have historically lacked such capabilities, the initiative reduces reliance on exported plastic waste and creates local value chains.

With each facility capable of processing tens of thousands of tonnes annually, the environmental impact will be substantial, transforming waste streams that might otherwise be landfilled into high-quality raw materials for manufacturing.

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