seeing green

LyondellBasell acquires California plastics recycling operations

The plan is to operate the newly-acquired mechanical recycling plant in California to manufacture post-consumer recycled resins using plastic waste feedstock. Photo courtesy of LyondellBasell

LyondellBasell has made a strategic acquisition of a plastics recycling facility.

The Houston-based company acquired the mechanical recycling assets containing rigid plastics recycling processing lines from recycling and waste management service provider PreZero. With the acquisition, LyondellBasell gains the processing facility in Jurupa Valley, California, with a production capacity of 50 million pounds per year for recycled materials.

The plan is to operate the newly-acquired mechanical recycling plant in California to manufacture post-consumer recycled resins using plastic waste feedstock, according to LyondellBasell. LyondellBasell aims to use recycled polymers under its CirculenRecover brand, which is part of the company's Circulen portfolio of products that enable the circular economy.

"This acquisition further strengthens our U.S. presence and will deliver value for our customers and plastic recycling rates in the West Coast," Yvonne van der Laan, LyondellBasell executive vice president, Circular and Low Carbon Solutions, says in a news release. "We will build upon our existing experience in plastic recycling in Europe and deliver a state-of-the-art, mechanical recycling facility to meet growing demand for recycled products in the U.S."

In 2025, LyondellBasell expects to finish the operations at its new facility.

With the previously announced equity stake in the Cyclyx joint venture and investment in the Cyclyx Circularity Center in Houston, the latest transaction hopes to enhance the competitiveness in the U.S. recycled products market.

Trending News

A View From HETI

The move marks the company's third expansion in the Houston area in three years. Photo courtesy of PVH

Solar tracking and manufacturing company PV Hardware USA is increasing its production capacity and expanding its Houston facility in an effort to meet growing demands.

The move marks the company's third expansion in the Houston area in three years. PV Hardware reports a 400 percent surge in national market growth over the past three years, as solar-based projects have been pivotal in energy resilience efforts.

PV Hardware plans to increase the capacity at its Houston facility by 42 percent, according to a news release. With the additional capacity, PV Hardware expects a 35 percent increase in production of pre-assembled parts. The company has not announced whether any additional employees will be hired or the costs of expansion.

In September, the company completed its new dedicated pre-assembly facility, which will help migrate difficult assembly into an easier manufacturing setting. The new pre-assembly area will also assist with streamlined field installation, enhanced schedule predictability and reduction of manual labor.

Citybiz reports that the expansion totals approximately 34,200 square feet.

PV Hardware USA aims to make solar installation more efficient. For large-scale solar projects, PV Hardware USA’s pre-assembly process helps to relieve assembly work done by installation teams. According to PV Hardware USA, it reduces the number of on-site components by 70 percent.

“Traditionally, manufacturers pushed the assembly burden onto the jobsite,” Rodolfo Bitar, vice president of business development for PVH USA, told Renewable Energy Magazine. “We ask a different question: what work can be done more efficiently before the equipment ever leaves the factory? By managing the assembly of 188 loose parts per row in our controlled manufacturing environment, we remove field complexity and make installation highly predictable.”

PV Hardware USA produces single-axis solar trackers made in Texas and has supplied over 52 gigawatts of solar trackers worldwide.

“The expanded presence in Texas underscores a long-term commitment: bringing world-class solar expertise to local American manufacturing, supporting communities, and serving as a reliable partner through the clean energy transition,” the company said in the release.

In July of 2025, the company opened its 95,000-square-foot facility, which was the second Houston location following its initial $30 million U.S. manufacturing facility, which, at 50,000 square feet, is one of America's largest solar tracker manufacturing facilities.

Trending News