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SABIC’s certified circular polymers are produced using a pyrolysis oil feedstock created from the recycling of low quality, mixed plastic waste otherwise destined for incineration or landfill. As the company stresses, the resultant certified circular polymers are of equal quality to virgin polymers with outstanding mechanical, processing properties and purity. These products are used in the development of pioneering, high quality consumer packaging for food, beverage, personal and home care products by several brand leading customers of SABIC.
Using SABIC’s certified circular polymers to create some of the world’s first food and personal care packaging made entirely from recycled mixed plastic waste, SABIC presents Unilever’s wholly recycled Magnum® ice cream tubs. These are made from SABIC’s newly developed impact polypropylene for frozen foods, where high flow and high impact at low temperatures are required. For Knorr® bouillon powder containers for professional kitchens, the SABIC® FLOWPACT PP impact copolymer solution helps to create lightweight packaging that is phthalate-free, safe for food contact while offering robust performance for high stackability and easy processing. Together with Vinventions, leader in wine closure design and engineering, SABIC will reveal a fully sustainable and certified circular BlueLine wine closures prototype. And a stand-up pouch from Walki is on display which features a food contact barrier layer made from SABIC’s circular materials
SABIC’s certified renewable polymers are high-quality virgin polymers, based on second-generation, animal-free, bio-based feedstock such as waste from wood pulping process. Like SABIC’s certified circular polymers, its certified renewable polymers have been accredited through the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS). SABIC’s renewable polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) polyolefins help enable customers meet the increased regulatory demands of the packaging industry. Unlike some other materials on the market, SABIC uses feedstock which is not directly in competition with the food chain. Having conducted an internal cradle-to-gate life-cycle analysis of their renewable polyolefins, SABIC found that from sourcing of raw feedstock to final production, each ton of renewable PE and PP polymer can remove up to two tons of carbon dioxide compared to fossil-based polyolefins, so potentially reducing the use of hydrocarbon resources by up to 80%.
SABIC’s close collaboration with SIG Combibloc packaging company has resulted in SIGNATURE PACK carton packages coated with plastic made from SABIC’s certified renewable PE.
Flexible packaging examples from ASPLA Armando Alvarez Group made from SABIC’s certified renewable polymers were also on display. ASPLA’s eleven-layer stretch wrap product uses renewable SABIC® SUPEER co-monomer. A further layer is made from SABIC® COHERE™ polymers. Both products offer high puncture resistance, holding force performance and food contact compliance. ASPLA’s SILOGRASS silage stretch wrap film made from SABIC SUPEER polymer combines high puncture resistance, strength and weatherability.
Mechanical recycled polymers
SABIC’s new enhanced mechanical recycling solution incorporates the maximum amount of mechanically recycled content without compromising the quality or performance needed for household, industrial and chemicals packaging. Incorporating up to 50% post-consumer resin (PCR), SABIC® HDPE compounds deliver strong stress cracking resistance even in packaging with thin wall thicknesses for reduced weight, while enabling customers to incorporate the desired amount of PCR without compromising on processing and performance requirements.
SABIC is also offering a new SABIC HDPE booster grade to help incorporate PCR or increase the existing PCR content in bottles from 30% to 60%. This is without facing degradation and processing issues, while minimizing quality variations on machine efficiency. The resulting packaging aims to meet processing and quality standards of the industry, contributing further to circularity by saving on virgin materials.
