We transform waste into raw material

Wouldn't it be better to utilise waste instead of disposing of it? As a circular economy specialist for plastics and fuels, we help you redirect your waste materials back into the cycle.

Making the most of raw materials

Dr Albert Paparo and his team will help you turn your waste materials into money. Since the circular economy is only really sustainable when it is also financially viable.

Circulation systems

The plastics industry operates a system that is currently almost exclusively based on fossil oil and keeps very little of it in the system. This results in many negative consequences. We close the plastic cycle through the chemical recycling of mixed plastic and scrap tyres, as well as the refinement of used oil.

enespa closes the circle

The plastics cycle can only be closed through a combination of mechanical and chemical recycling processes. The recycled plastics are in no way inferior to products made from fossil oil.

Chemical recycling

Storage in the buffer box

Production of granulate

Sorting and shredding in the grinder

Plastic waste

Product manufacture and use

Oil recovery

Pyrolysis/thermolysis & condensation

Heating in the extruder

The chemical recycling process steps (highlighted in white) close the plastic cycle.

Earning money with plastic waste

What was not even possible 20 years ago is now a reality: energy-efficient systems and a product with the quality of a tradable naphtha. Our aim now is to establish chemical recycling.

Play Video about A hand reaches into a large container. It contains shredded plastic particles of plastic waste.

Plastic-to-oil means converting mixed plastic waste into a high-quality product oil. The video shows a pyrolysis plant with a throughput of 5 tonnes/day (WastX Plastic P5).

Play Video about A hand reaches into a large container. It contains shredded plastic particles of plastic waste.

Plastic-to-oil means converting mixed plastic waste into a high-quality product oil. The video shows a pyrolysis plant with a throughput of 5 tonnes/day (WastX Plastic P5).

Investing in the future

At enespa, we employ 50 staff and have over 3,000 shareholders and bondholders who share the vision of a future without plastic waste. This means that we are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of Agenda 2030.

12 Responsible production

We reintroduce waste materials such as mixed plastic, old tyres and waste oil into the cycle. The wording of the UN goal

13 Climate action

The greenhouse gas balance of our thermo/pyrolysis process is better than incinerating the waste. The wording of the UN goal.

14 Life below water

Together with our partner, the BioDesign Foundation , we reintroduce plastic from the sea into the cycle. The wording of the UN goal.

6 Clean water

We create an incentive (earning money) to recycle plastic, tyres and used oil. The wording of the UN goal.

5 facts about plastic waste

Over 400 million tonnes of plastic were produced worldwide in 2022. Half of this is packaging material that is used once and then thrown away. Source: Statista
Only about 9% of plastic waste is recycled. 2% is incinerated and 79% ends up in landfill or in the environment (9 million tonnes per year in the sea). Source: Ocean Care
Over 40 per cent of all plastics are used only once and then thrown away. Estimates of the longevity of plastic range from 450 years to "forever". Source: National Geographic
73% - 80% of the rubbish on beaches consists of plastic: cigarette filters, bottles, bottle caps, packaging, bags, polystyrene or balloon strings in which animals can become entangled. Source: WWF
So far, there are reports of over 700 marine species that have eaten plastic or become entangled in it. By 2050, practically every seabird species in the world will be eating plastic. Source: National Geographic

Strong partnerships

As specialists in the circular economy of plastics, we are working with several other companies to establish the market for chemical recycling. BioDesign Foundation is a strong partner at our side. As part of the «Vox Maris» project, the foundation collects old fishing nets that we chemically recycle. This is a win-win situation for people and nature.

Milestones

We have reached all our milestones to date. But let's not deceive ourselves: The road that has brought us to this point has been long and, at times, quite bumpy.

9. December 2024

| Dominik Dörig

Theory and Practice Combined

How can the economic, social and environmental aspects of plastic-to-oil recycling be demonstrated? How can they be made quantifiable? These and many other questions have been intriguing us in recent years. Luckily, we had the good fortune of meeting Professor Joachim Vogt in 2022. He had been asking himself the same questions – and the idea for an Innosuisse study was born.

AdBlue® by enespa

This is how the circular economy works!

For our AdBlue® production, we are planning a take-back and recycling system for the containers. And with the income from the sale of AdBlue®, we will in turn finance our research and development in the field of chemical recycling.

When you buy your AdBlue® from us, you are supporting our pioneering work in the field of pyrolysis of plastics.

Specialists wanted

We have a few vacancies. But we are not only looking for skilled labour. We support people at the start of their career. Since autumn 2022, enespa has also been a training company. Enrico S. is doing an apprenticeship in Appenzell, Switzerland, to become a with a Federal Certificate of Competence.