Refinery converts plastic waste into oil

A refinery in Grandpuits, in the Île-de-France region of France, has been converting plastic waste into oil since March 2026 using a process called pyrolysis. This method heats waste materials, such as flexible films and complex packaging from the yellow bin, at high temperatures without oxygen to produce synthetic oil, which is then cracked to become polymer again. TotalEnergies, the company operating the site, claims the resulting product is of quality compatible with food contact.

Supply guaranteed by long-term contracts

The supply of plastic waste to the refinery is guaranteed by a long-term contract signed in 2023 with Citeo and Paprec, with a capacity of 15,000 tonnes per year. This ensures a steady flow of materials for the refinery’s operations, allowing it to maintain its production levels.

TotalEnergies acquires Plastic Energy’s stake

On September 11, TotalEnergies announced it would take over the 35% share held by the British company Plastic Energy, which had provided the technology. However, Plastic Energy had been placed under judicial administration in May due to a lack of liquidity, according to Actu-Environnement. It exited this status in August under revised governance.

Plastic Energy’s other plant in the Netherlands

Plastic Energy's other industrial plant, located in Chemelot in the Netherlands, operates with the Saudi company Sabic. This partnership highlights the international scope of the company’s operations before its financial difficulties and subsequent restructuring.

Sector faces challenges

The entire sector is facing challenges, including the volatility of virgin plastic prices and uncertain regulations. Despite these issues, TotalEnergies has taken over the plant, aiming to transform Grandpuits into a platform without crude oil, focusing on biofuels and recycling. Leaving the pioneering plant in limbo would have weakened the entire showcase, according to the company.

Limited impact on national plastic waste

The 15,000 tonnes of processed plastic per year represent less than 0.3% of the approximately 5.5 million tonnes of household packaging put on the market in France in 2024. According to AFP, the output from the plant fills at most a truck of oil per day. Citeo admits that only 30% of household plastic packaging is currently recycled.

Critics question the process

Opponents argue that the process is energy-intensive and costly. In a report published in 2023, Zero Waste Europe estimated that, in the best case scenario, only 2% of the waste entering pyrolysis actually becomes real plastic again. Critics see this as maintaining an illusion, that of a material that can be recycled infinitely and would dispense with reducing at the source.

European regulations support chemical recycling

However, the member states have made their choice. In February 2026, the Twenty-Seven accepted that chemical recycling would count towards the mandatory recycled content of plastic bottles. The European targets set for 2030 will create a demand that mechanical recycling, limited for food uses, will have difficulty meeting on its own.

Grandpuits as a future option

Grandpuits is therefore neither a miracle solution nor a fraud. It is an option for the future. TotalEnergies is betting that the recycled molecule will become an obligation before becoming a market. One question remains that the plant will not answer: can the end-of-life of plastic be entrusted to those who organized its birth?