ReVentas, a start-up focused on innovative recycling solutions, has received a £3.5 million grant from Scottish Enterprise to advance its solvent-based recycling technology over the next three years. The funding, part of a £9 million project, will support the development of processes for hard-to-recycle plastics, including food packaging films, which are set to become a priority for UK councils from 2028 onwards.

ReVentas’ technology uses a chemical solvent to dissolve plastic waste, filter out contaminants such as color and odor, and produce a 'natural, virgin-like' polymer suitable for direct use in packaging, consumer, and automotive applications. The process operates at low temperatures and pressures, minimizing carbon footprint and processing costs.

The company plans to expand its pilot plant in Livingston to accommodate more complex plastic waste streams and has entered an engineering and licensing alliance with KBR to enable global rollout of its technology.

Nicola Anderson, director of Scaling Innovation at Scottish Enterprise, highlighted the potential of ReVentas’ technology to transform material recovery, create green jobs, attract investment, and position Scotland as a leader in clean technologies.

Similar initiatives are underway across Europe. PureCycle Technologies is building a polypropylene dissolution recycling facility in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, aiming for 59,000 tonnes annual production under a €40 million grant from the EU CINEA Innovation Fund. Additionally, Traceless has launched its first industrial-scale production facility in Hamburg, Germany, for bio-based, home-compostable natural polymers derived from agricultural residues, advancing the circular bioeconomy and reducing reliance on fossil-based plastics.