This report aims to cover the spectrum of technologies that fall under the umbrella of chemical recycling, with a focus on those with outputs that can be reintroduced into plastics manufacturing as virgin equivalents. Some consideration is also given to other processes that produce other chemical feedstocks that can similarly be viewed as recycling or materials recovery. The research underpinning the report has centred on the European context but has drawn on literature published globally. However, it does not purport to provide a comprehensive, worldwide review of all relevant technologies in this rapidly developing industry.

The focus of this report is to detail the technologies that have been developed, determine how mature they are, and for which polymers they are aimed at. Their comparative environmental performance is also discussed against key benchmarks including waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration, mechanical recycling, and virgin polymer production. Finally, it also discusses some of the key issues that these technologies face, including when to leverage these versus other options and how they may fit into European waste legislation.