NOVA Chemicals Corp. (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) announced the commissioning of its first polyethylene (PE) film recycling facility, SYNDIGO1, located in Connersville, Ind. The facility is one of the largest and most sophisticated plastic film mechanical recycling facilities in the world. SYNDIGO1 spans 450,000 sq.ft. and will recycle 145,000 bales of end-of-life plastic film to produce over 100 million lbs. of SYNDIGO recycled PE (rLLDPE), suitable for food- and non-food grade packaging applications. Full production is expected by early 2026.
SYNDIGO1 is one of the world’s largest mechanical recycling facilities for PE film (Source: NOVA Chemicals)
NOVA Chemicals commemorated the achievement by hosting a grand opening event with nearly 100 attendees including NOVA Chemicals CEO Roger Kearns, Novolex Chairman and CEO Stan Bikulege, Indiana Secretary of Business Affairs Mike Speedy, Indiana State Senator Jeff Raatz, Indiana State Representative Lindsay Patterson, Mayor of the City of Connersville, and representatives from the offices of U.S. Senators Young and Banks and Congressman Jefferson Shreve. Attendees also included representatives from NOVA Chemicals’ Board of Directors, Novolex executives and employees, customers, Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) firms, and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM). The ceremony marks the completion of 22 months of planning, construction and scale-up, and the facility’s readiness for mechanically recycling PE film and the production of high-quality recycled PE.
“Our SYNDIGO1 facility is a tangible example of what motivation, collaboration, and market demand can do together,” said Kearns. “At NOVA, we have decades of experience in developing products that make our lives better. As of today, we’re not only a petrochemicals producer but also a recycler of polyethylene. We’re diverting plastic waste from landfills and turning it into new, quality products that help keep our food fresh or safely transport goods and materials to store shelves.”
“Indiana is proud to be the home of NOVA Circular Solutions’ new Mechanical Recycling Facility, which will be an industry leader in plastic film recycling. This facility will support around 125 Hoosier jobs and will be a great asset to the Connersville community as well as another world-class example of Indiana’s leadership in the materials industry,” said Indiana Governor Mike Braun.
In July 2023, NOVA announced the intention to build the facility and work with Novolex to operate the facility, capitalizing on its nearly 20 years of experience in operating plastic film recycling facilities. In 2024, the facility’s mechanical recycling process received a first-of-its-kind Letter of Non-Objection (LNO) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirming its ability to produce post-consumer rLLDPE that is suitable for food-contact applications. In April 2025, the facility achieved the Recycled Material Standard certification from Green Blue, which verifies that the SYNDIGO recycled polyethylene produced at the facility is 100% post-consumer recycled content. Today, three of four lines are in operation, and the facility will be fully operational by the end of 2025.
Meeting customer and consumer demand for recycling and recycled materials
“There continues to be high interest from converters, retailers, and brand owners for recycled polyethylene, and our state-of-the-art facility accelerates our ability to meet this demand,” Kearns added. “We can leverage the latest technologies to ensure plastic film is recycled and re-used.”
NOVA Chemicals is working with several leading manufacturers and distributors to incorporate recycled polyethylene into flexible packaging, including Charter Next Generation, M.Holland, Osterman & Company, Petoskey Plastics, PolyExpert, Pregis, Sigma Plastics Group, and Winpak. According to McKinsey, the demand for post-consumer recycled plastic will triple by 2030 to about 90 million tons1. And, according to a recent NOVA Chemicals survey, 75% of consumers agreed that companies should increase the use of packaging made from recycled materials.
Quality feedstock and reducing plastic waste from the environment
SYNDIGO1 in Connersville works with major retailers and distribution centers across the U.S. to collect back-of-store polyethylene film which provides consistent and clean feedstock for recycled PE. The facility will collect on average 400 bales of plastic film each day, or 14,000 bales each month. For context, the film collected and diverted from landfills each year is equivalent to filling four professional football fields to the top of the goal posts.
Plastic film waste will be processed into pellets and sold as NOVA Chemicals’ SYNDIGO recycled linear, low-density polyethylene (rLLDPE), which is suitable for a wide variety of packaging applications—from trash can liners to food packaging. A grade of SYNDIGO rLLDPE has FDA compliance for all food types under Conditions of Use B through H and can be used to add recycled content for the full scope of food packaging applications including pantry staples, refrigerator items, and freezer packaging.
Connersville community investment
As part of its grand opening celebration, NOVA Chemicals announced a $25,000 (USD) donation to Fayette Community Foundation to establish the NOVA Chemicals Community Impact Fund to support local programs and projects including youth development and education to health and human services, public safety, and community betterment. The donation is eligible for a matching fund grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc.’s GIFT VIII initiative, which matches eligible contributions at a rate of $2 for every $1 donated. Fayette Community Foundation will receive an additional $50,000 from Lilly Endowment.