Covestro, a global leading polymer company, announced that its first dedicated line for the mechanical recycling (MCR) of polycarbonates started operations in Shanghai on Wednesday.

The production line, which has an annual capacity of 25,000 tons of premium-quality polycarbonates and blends containing mechanically recycled materials, was rolled out in response to the growing demand for post-consumer-recycled (PCR) plastics, particularly in the automotive and consumer goods sectors.

"The launch of our MCR production line marks another significant stride in our journey towards achieving a circular economy and operational climate neutrality by 2035," said Sucheta Govil, chief commercial officer of Covestro. "Through expanding our recycled plastics production capacity, we aim to lead the way in driving sustainability across diverse industries."

Covestro said it is committed to supplying over 60,000 tons of recycled-content polycarbonates annually in the Asia-Pacific region by 2026.

"These investments enable us to meet the rising demand for PCR polycarbonates, enhancing our capacity and efficiency. With new or repurposed capacity now operational, we are better positioned to assist our downstream customers in their journey towards more sustainable products, expediting the transformation of industry towards a circular and climate-neutral future," said Lily Wang, head of Covestro's business entity engineering plastics.

Liang Ziyin contributed to this story.