Sumika expands recycled PP capacity in France for automotive applications
2026.08.26 - 08:00
Sumika Polymer Compounds Europe is investing more than EUR 13 million in a new mechanical recycling facility in Saint-Martin-de-Crau, France. The project targets polypropylene waste from end-of-life vehicles and industrial sources. The facility is expected to support around 10,000 tonnes per year of recycled PP production. Together with Sumika's existing recycling operations in Turkey, the group's recycled PP capacity is expected to exceed 25,000 tonnes per year. The investment comes as European automotive manufacturers prepare for increasing requirements for recycled plastics in new vehicles.
New Facility
Sumika Polymer Compounds Europe is expanding its recycling activities in France with a new mechanical recycling facility for polypropylene from automotive and industrial waste streams. The project is being developed at Saint-Martin-de-Crau, in southern France, where Sumika already operates an industrial site producing technical thermoplastic compounds. More than EUR 13 million is being invested in the new recycling operation. According to information published by French environmental agency ADEME, the wider SUMIKA Recycling project represents a total cost of EUR 21.4 million and benefits from EUR 6 million in public support under the France 2030 programme. The facility is designed to regenerate polypropylene recovered primarily from end-of-life vehicle components, including bumpers, as well as industrial plastic waste. ADEME indicates a planned regeneration capacity of approximately 12,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year, supporting a target of around 10,000 tonnes per year of recycled PP production for the European market. The mechanical recycling process will include washing in a closed water circuit with water treatment. Photovoltaic panels are also planned to provide part of the energy required by the facility.Automotive demand moves recycled PP upstream
The investment comes as the European automotive industry prepares for substantially greater use of recycled plastics in vehicle production. For compounders and automotive suppliers, this creates a need not only for larger volumes of recycled polymers but also for materials capable of meeting demanding technical specifications. Sumika is already developing recycled PP compounds for such applications. Its THERMOFIL CIRCLE portfolio includes polypropylene compounds based on post-industrial, post-consumer and closed-loop recycled feedstocks, including reinforced grades intended for demanding automotive components. The company's strategy therefore combines control over recycled feedstock with the production of higher-value technical compounds.From ELV waste back into automotive materials
The Saint-Martin-de-Crau project is particularly relevant because it illustrates the transition from conventional waste recycling towards more integrated automotive material loops. Recovering polypropylene from end-of-life vehicles and returning it to automotive applications could help manufacturers secure recycled feedstock while reducing dependence on virgin fossil-based polymers. For the European recycling industry, this also points to an increasingly important market development: automotive demand for recycled plastics is beginning to translate into dedicated industrial capacity. As recycled-content requirements increase, access to consistent and traceable rPP streams suitable for technical applications could become increasingly strategic for recyclers, compounders and automotive suppliers.Source
• Polimerica – Più PP riciclato per l’auto, 25 August 2026 • ADEME – Création d’une unité de régénération de polypropylène provenant du secteur automobile – SUMIKA Recycling • Sumika Polymer Compounds Europe