A Scottish start-up pioneering a new type of plastic recycling has been awarded a £3.5 million grant to support the development of its solvent based recycling technology.
The Scottish Enterprise funding will help support Livingston-based ReVentas’ £9 million project, which will see it develop its proprietary recycling technology – with a particular focus on difficult to recycle plastics such as films found in food packaging.
ReVentas’ patented dissolution recycling technology uses a chemical solvent to rapidly dissolve waste plastics. It filters the polymer of contaminants including colour and odour, and producing a natural, virgin-like polymer that can be directly used in high value applications such as packaging, automotive, and consumer products.
The technology operates at low temperatures and pressures, reducing both process cost and carbon footprint, providing a sustainable route to recycling plastics at scale. ReVentas recently signed an engineering and licensing alliance agreement with global engineering company KBR to support the roll out of the technology globally.
The Scottish Enterprise backed project will accelerate ReVentas ambition to take its technology closer to commercial deployment by expanding their pilot plant facility in Livingston to handle more complex plastic waste streams.
CEO and Founder of ReVentas, Tom Rose, said, “Plastics are essential to every part of our lives, but we have not yet delivered workable solutions to deal with them at the end of life. ReVentas is providing a simple, scalable solution that can ensure the waste plastic we produce today are directly used in the products we buy tomorrow.
“By continuing to develop our technology in Scotland, ReVentas can impactfully contribute to Scotland’s important net zero and circular economy goals.”
Nicola Anderson, director of scaling innovation at Scottish Enterprise, added, “ReVentas is developing pioneering recycling technology that has the potential to transform how valuable materials are recovered and reused, supporting Scotland’s transition to a more sustainable, circular economy. By turning cutting-edge innovation into commercial opportunity, the company is creating high-quality green jobs, attracting investment and strengthening Scotland’s position as a leader in clean technologies.
“We are proud to have supported ReVentas throughout its growth journey. Over several years, Scottish Enterprise has worked alongside the company to secure international funding, develop a robust intellectual property strategy and unlock the investment needed to scale. More recently, our £2 million investment and this R&D grant are helping accelerate the development and commercialisation of technology with significant global potential.
“ReVentas is a fantastic example of Scottish innovation delivering economic, environmental and social value. We look forward to continuing our partnership as the business grows internationally, creates new opportunities for Scotland and helps address some of the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges.”
