Scottish start-up ReVentas has raised Series A funding to advance its innovative chemical recycling technology for polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) from a pilot phase to full commercial scale within the next three years.
The investment round includes backing from Orlen VC, Beiersdorf Venture Capital, and Scottish Enterprise, Scotland’s national economic development agency.
ReVentas has developed a chemical recycling process tailored to tackle PE and PP, which together account for roughly 50% of global plastic production. Despite the generation of 400 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, the vast majority is not recycled due to factors like material complexity, coloration, and contamination.
Tom Rose, CEO of ReVentas, emphasized the urgency and promise of their solution:
“Plastics are an essential part of our world, but so far, the industry has failed to provide workable solutions at-scale to deal with the impact they have on our environment. ReVentas are providing a simple solution which can change this, ensuring the waste we produce today, can and will be directly used in the products we buy tomorrow.”
How the Technology Works
ReVentas’s chemical process involves dissolving plastic waste in a solvent to clean and regenerate it. The waste is first shredded and granulated, removing large non-polymer materials. It then enters a dissolution vessel, where PE and PP are liquefied into a polymer slurry.
This slurry passes through filters that remove both solids and dissolved contaminants such as VOCs, odors, and chemicals. The purified slurry is separated from the solvent, dried, and extruded into pellets. These pellets, comparable to virgin plastic, can be used across sectors like packaging, automotive, construction, and textiles. Importantly, the solvent is recirculated for reuse in the system.
ReVentas highlights that its process runs at low temperatures and pressures, cutting production costs and reducing carbon emissions by 80% compared to virgin plastic production.
Commercial Plant Targeted for 2027
The secured funding will facilitate the construction of ReVentas’s first full-scale commercial recycling plant, projected to be operational by 2027, with an annual processing capacity of 10,000 tonnes. The company also aims to expand total capacity by another 140,000 tonnes by 2031.
Marek Garniewski, President of the Management Board of Orlen VC, reflected on the investment’s strategic value:
“EU regulations mandate that 10 per cent of packaging materials must come from recycled sources by 2030. However, Europe faces significant shortages of high-quality secondary raw materials suitable for reuse in production. Meeting this obligation will be a challenge, but we see it as a business opportunity.”
Ascan Voswinckel, Head of Venture Capital at Beiersdorf, added:
“We strongly believe in the potential of the ReVentas technology as it bridges a crucial gap in circular PE/PP usage. As investor and strategic partner, we engage with leading startups like ReVentas along the entire value chain to drive innovative, more circular solutions for us and the cosmetics industry.”