NOVA Chemicals Corporation Commissions Polyethylene Film Recycling Facility

CALGARY — NOVA Chemicals Corporation announced the commissioning of a polyethylene (PE) film recycling facility, “SYNDIGO1,” located in Connersville, Ind. The facility is a plastic film mechanical recycling facility that spans 450,000 sq.ft. and will reportedly recycle 145,000 bales of end-of-life plastic film to produce SYNDIGO™ recycled PE (rLLDPE), suitable for food- and non-food grade packaging applications. Full production is expected by early 2026.

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).

“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 its intention to build the facility and work with Novolex to operate the facility. NOVA says that in 2024, the facility’s mechanical recycling process received a 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. The company reports that three of four lines are now in operation, and the facility will be fully operational by the end of 2025.

“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 says it is working with several 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.