Out with the Old and In with the… Old?

At first glance, the phrase might sound like a typo—or a sign that we’ve finally lost it over at FlexOnyx. But there’s a method to this madness, and it’s one that has been used successfully in industries for centuries: taking tried-and-true technologies and applying them in fresh ways to solve new challenges.

For all the buzz around innovation, the reality is that some of the most transformative breakthroughs don’t come from brand-new ideas but rather from reapplying old ones. The steam engine? It wasn’t a fresh concept when James Watt refined it and made it efficient. The assembly line? Henry Ford didn’t invent it—he just applied the principles of meatpacking operations to car manufacturing. And let’s not forget the touchscreen, which dates back to the 1960s but only became ubiquitous once Apple put it in our pockets.

So, what does this have to do with FlexOnyx? Simple: we’re not reinventing the wheel—we’re just driving it in a different direction.

The Power of Proven Technology

FlexOnyx is built on the foundation of technologies that have been around for over 100 years now. These processes are well-understood, commercially proven, and globally deployed at scale. What we’re doing differently is applying these same technologies to waste plastics instead of crude oil.

Now, this might sound too straightforward to be groundbreaking, but sometimes the best solutions hide in plain sight. The world has spent the last century perfecting ways to break down hydrocarbons in crude oil to produce fuels and chemicals. Since plastics are, at their core, just rearranged hydrocarbons, why not use the same logic? Turns out, when you apply the right techniques, plastics can be transformed into valuable products like ultra-low sulfur diesel, SAF, and naphtha— which are in constant demand.

Lessons from the Past

If history has taught us anything, it’s that repurposing existing technology can be a game-changer. One of the best examples? NASA’s use of off-the-shelf technology to make space travel practical. The Saturn V rocket that sent humans to the Moon wasn’t built from entirely novel parts—it was assembled using technology adapted from military ballistic missiles and jet propulsion systems. Similarly, SpaceX’s breakthrough in reusable rockets was less about inventing something entirely new and more about tweaking what already existed to make it more efficient.

Likewise, the energy sector has seen similar moves. The shale revolution, for example, wasn’t driven by brand-new science. Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) had been around since the 1940s, and horizontal drilling was developed in the 1980s. It wasn’t until someone realized that combining these technologies could unlock vast new reserves of oil and gas that the U.S. energy landscape changed dramatically.

Why Reinvention Isn’t Always Necessary

There’s a common misconception that solving the plastics crisis requires some kind of radical, never-before-seen technology. While futuristic concepts may get headlines, the reality is that many of them are unproven, expensive, and years (if not decades) away from commercial viability. Meanwhile, plastic waste continues to pile up, and recycling rates remain dismal.

FlexOnyx is taking a different approach—one rooted in reality. We’re not waiting for some magical breakthrough. Instead, we’re harnessing technology that already works, optimizing it, and scaling it up for plastics. This makes our solution practical, bankable, and deployable within a reasonable timeframe.

The Old is the New New

So yes, our philosophy is a little unconventional: out with the old and in with the… old. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that old ideas applied in new ways can change the world. And that’s exactly what we intend to do.

After all, sometimes the best way forward is to look backward—just long enough to find the right tools for the job.