Sumika Polymer Compounds is investing €15 million to open a recycling facility in Provence

The company’s first European recycling facility will be opened in Saint-Martin-de-Crau near Arles

Having operated a site in Provence for 36 years, Sumika Polymer Compounds, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo Chemical, is now expanding its presence in the territory by launching the construction of its first European plant dedicated to plastics recycling. This €15 million investment will allow for 10 000 metric tons of plastic waste to be recycled per year, and the project has received support from the French government, local authorities, and the Provence Promotion and risingSUD economic development agencies. The recycling facility is scheduled to open in 2026. At the request of Business France, Provence Promotion initiated the discussions for the project in 2022, which led to the mobilisation of the economic stakeholders.

On Thursday, March 6, Ludovic Seynave, the European President of Sumika Polymer Compounds, laid the foundation stone for an extension of the company’s industrial site in Saint-Martin-de-Crau that will house a new plastics recycling facility. “After considering Poznan, Poland, where we have had a plastic extrusion plant since 2021, we ultimately chose Saint-Martin-de-Crau for this project. Its strategic location is a big advantage for the import of raw materials and the shipment of finished products. In addition, France has a well-developed automotive recycling industry, and the government support we are receiving through the France 2030 program was decisive as it represents 30% of the project,” he said.

Ademe, the French agency responsible for the environmental transition, is providing funding for the project as part of the France 2030 investment plan. The Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region is also delivering a €300 000 grant via the Sud Développement program. Meanwhile, Provence Promotion and risingSUD played a key role in the investment project by facilitating administrative procedures and opening up access to funding. Sumika Polymer Compounds is now relying on the two economic development agencies for help recruiting 30 new employees over the next three years (line managers, logistics coordinators, purchasing managers, etc.), which will bring the company’s local workforce to 85 employees.

An industrial project that embraces the circular economy

Designed by Novelige, an expert in turnkey commercial real estate, the new 5000-meter-square facility will be situatedin an extension of the Sumika Polymer Compounds site in the Bois de Leuze industrial park in Saint-Martin-de-Crau. When it opens, it will be able to recycle 10 000 metric tons of plastic waste per year and transform it into recycled polypropylene granules that can be used in sectors such as the automotive industry. These polypropylene granules are an essential contribution to the green transition of the plastic sector. Under European Union legislation, plastics for new cars will have to be composed of 25% recycled materials by 2030, with one-quarter of the recycled plastic coming from end-of-life vehicles.

“This product is also a lighter material that helps to reduce the weight of vehicles, thereby reducing their fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions and increasing the range of electric vehicles,” emphasises Ludovic Seynave, who was given the Invest in Provence award on January 23, 2025.

Sumika Polymer Compounds is the second largest European producer in this sector with a 21% market share. It supplies manufacturers such as the automotive suppliers Valeo and Forvia with a range of more than a dozen different plastic products.

“The Pays d’Arles area is renowned for its cultural sector, but it also welcomes innovative projects and sustainable industries. 19% of jobs in the area are related to industry,” said Jean-Michel Jalabert, the Vice-President for Economic Development of the Communauté d’Agglomération Arles Crau Camargue Montagnette and the Deputy Mayor of Arles.

With this new facility, Sumika Polymer Compounds is strengthening its presence in France while affirming its ambition for a more sustainable and competitive approach to industry.

Sumika Polymer Compounds is located in a vibrant industrial zone of Saint-Martin-de-Crau that includes the Bois de Leuze and Ecopôle business parks. With 600 hectares of space, this zone is home to 90 companies (Katoen Natie, Rexel, Distrimag, Maisons du Monde, etc.) that employ 4200 people.