In an industrial pocket of Chandigarh, a quiet but significant transformation is taking place that could change how the world deals with plastic waste. Inside a specialised recycling facility, plastic films that usually end up in landfills are being converted into valuable liquid fuel, offering a promising solution to one of the most stubborn environmental problems of our time.
While rigid plastics such as PET bottles are widely recycled, flexible plastic packaging used for chips, biscuits and food wrappers has long posed a challenge. These multi-layered films are difficult to recycle and are often dumped in landfills, where they contribute to pollution and methane emissions. Globally, recycling rates for such plastics remain in single digits.
The Chandigarh facility, developed by PolyCycl, uses a patented chemical recycling technology that turns these unrecyclable plastic films into high-value liquid feedstock. The process is designed to support a circular economy, where waste materials are continuously reused instead of being discarded.
According to PolyCycl founder Amit Tandon, plastic itself is not the real problem. The issue lies in how plastic waste is managed. His journey began over two decades ago after reading a scientific paper that sparked an idea. Today, that idea has evolved into a fully operational plant capable of reversing plastic waste back into its basic chemical components.
At the heart of the facility is PolyCycl’s patented Contiflow technology. Unlike traditional chemical recycling systems that operate in batches and require frequent shutdowns for cleaning, this system runs continuously. Conventional batch reactors must be cooled and manually cleared of residue, making them inefficient, risky and difficult to scale.
PolyCycl’s sixth-generation reactor remains sealed throughout the process, maintaining a controlled, oxygen-free environment. This prevents plastic from burning and releasing toxic fumes, while allowing the system to operate round the clock without energy-intensive interruptions.
The recycling process begins with plastic films being compressed and fed into the reactor, where they undergo depolymerisation. Advanced automation systems control temperature and pressure, breaking long hydrocarbon chains into smaller molecular units. As the plastic turns into vapour, it passes through separation and distillation units.
Solid residues are automatically removed without opening the reactor, while gases are scrubbed to remove impurities before being safely released or flared. The final product is a clean liquid hydrocarbon oil that is chemically identical to virgin fossil-based feedstock.
This liquid can be reused to manufacture new plastics, including food-grade packaging, without any loss in material quality. According to PolyCycl, the process can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 40 per cent and cut fossil fuel use by up to 90 per cent compared to conventional plastic production.
The implications of this technology are far-reaching. Instead of being seen as an environmental burden, landfill plastic can now be treated as a valuable resource. By closing the loop on plastic production, the process offers a practical pathway towards reducing pollution while meeting industrial demand.
Inside the Chandigarh plant, amid the steady hum of machines, the idea of a landfill as a permanent dumping ground begins to fade. In its place emerges a vision of waste as raw material, waiting to be transformed. For the first time, plastic pollution is not just being managed it is being undone.