PyroGenesis Inc. (TSX: PYR, OTCQX: PYRGF) is taking a bigger role in Europe’s ongoing battle with plastic waste, signing a contract worth approximately $440,000 (CAD$600,000). The deal, with one of the world’s largest integrated environmental services companies, aims to develop and test a solution for non-recyclable plastics and hazardous liquid waste using PyroGenesis’ high-temperature plasma gasification technology.
The client, which operates more than 100 waste treatment facilities across Europe, remains unnamed for confidentiality and competitive reasons. This latest agreement marks the third project between the two companies in recent months, reflecting a growing partnership that spans continents and technical challenges.
Europe’s struggle with plastic waste is well documented. In 2022, the continent generated over 32 million tonnes of plastic waste, yet only 27 percent was recycled. Eight EU member states still landfill more than half of their plastic waste, highlighting the scale of the problem.
To address this, the European Union introduced a levy in 2021 on non-recycled plastic packaging waste. Each member state pays €800 per tonne of non-recycled waste, a policy that has spurred additional national taxes on manufacturing, importing, and purchasing non-reusable plastic packaging. In countries like Italy and Spain, these taxes can reach as high as €0.45 per kilogram. On top of this, some states impose up to €40 per tonne in taxes for incineration and landfilling of waste.
The financial penalties are pushing European companies to seek new solutions for reducing plastic waste, and PyroGenesis’ plasma-based approach is designed to help meet this need.
The newly announced contract covers the engineering and testing of a waste management solution focused on non-recyclable plastics and hazardous liquids. PyroGenesis’ plasma gasification technology works by breaking down waste at extremely high temperatures, aiming to deliver an environmentally sustainable disposal process with lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional methods.
Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis, said the project is a step toward addressing one of Europe’s most pressing environmental challenges. He noted that while a circular economy for plastics is the ideal, the reality is that not all plastics can be recycled, and a significant portion of recyclable plastics never actually make it through the process. This leaves landfills as the default destination for much of Europe’s plastic waste, with known risks including microplastics, BPAs, and other contaminants entering the ecosystem.
“Landfills in their current form are unsustainable in the long-term, but a zero-waste agenda is simply not viable either,” Pascali said. “With the growing demand for plastic products, technological intervention is required to help reduce the impact plastics are having on landfills. As is often said, the future of waste management is waste elimination. PyroGenesis hopes to eventually contribute to a solution that helps shift the plastic waste approach from incineration and landfilling to safe destruction and remediation that bypasses landfills entirely”.
The contract is the latest in a series of collaborations between PyroGenesis and its European client. Earlier projects included the design and delivery of components for the safe incineration of emissions during renewable natural gas production, as well as the engineering and delivery of condensate pots for biogas infrastructure.
PyroGenesis’ waste destruction business is part of its broader three-tiered solution ecosystem, which also includes energy transition, emission reduction, and commodity security. The company has a history of tackling complex waste challenges, from hazardous end-of-life refrigerants to chemical warfare agents and persistent “forever chemicals” like PFAS23.
With its headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Montreal, PyroGenesis continues to develop and commercialize proprietary plasma technologies for heavy industry. The company’s operations are ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certified, reflecting a long-standing commitment to quality and innovation.
As Europe tightens regulations and financial penalties around plastic waste, PyroGenesis’ latest contract could signal a broader shift toward advanced technologies in waste management, offering both environmental and economic benefits for companies facing mounting pressure to reduce their landfill footprint.
