SABIC has formed downstream collaborations with brand-leading customers Unilever, Tupperware Brands, Vinventions and Walki Group to develop new, high-quality consumer products
SABIC is using feedstock made from mixed plastic waste to produce certified circular polymers at its Geleen production site in The Netherlands
Certified circular polymers are one of many highlights from SABIC at K 2019, Hall 6 Booth D42
SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, is to highlight its pioneering initiative for the production of certified circular polymers at Europe’s leading plastics exhibition in October this year. SABIC launched its ground breaking project in Q4 of 2018 with the goal of driving a value chain transformation from a linear economy to a circular economy for plastics.
SABIC’s certified circular polymers are being produced using a pyrolysis oil feedstock from the recycling of mixed plastic waste. As part of the intended project, SABIC is now introducing this alternative feedstock into its Chemelot production site at Geleen in The Netherlands. The resultant certified circular polymers are to be supplied to branding leading customers - Unilever, Tupperware Brands, Vinventions and Walki Group - to use in the development of pioneering, high quality and safe consumer goods or packaging for food, beverage and personal care products.
As a disruptive innovation, the introduction of SABIC’s certified circular polymers aims to transform the value chain, where SABIC, its upstream suppliers and downstream customers work in tandem to upcycle mixed plastic waste back to the original polymer for high quality applications, thereby enabling circular reuse of the planet’s natural resources. While recycling by mechanical methods makes a contribution towards circularity, the rates at which it can economically recycle plastic packaging waste are limited. SABIC’s certified circular polymer process, however, enables the creation of brand new polymers, offering a real alternative to mechanical methods and closing the recycling ‘loop’.
As global brand leaders or frontrunners in their respective areas, Unilever, Tupperware Brands, Vinventions and Walki Group recognise the importance of sustainability and their role in the circular economy. They also recognise the critical roles purity, quality and safety play in consumer products or packaging. SABIC’s chemical recycling process is a drop-in alternative offering similar properties and processing characteristics to traditionally produced materials.
“To enable a genuine shift from a linear economy to a circular one, while meeting the needs of our customers and consumer, the maximum value of the plastics waste stream needs to be retained and reused”, said Bob Maughon, Executive Vice President Sustainability, Technology & Innovation Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer. “SABIC has been committed to investing in scientific and technological expertise and fostering close collaborations with both upstream suppliers and downstream customers in order to overcome this challenge, and we are proud to say that we are first in the industry to scale-up this innovative chemical recycling process.”
The polymers are certified through the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification plus (ISCC+) scheme that certifies renewable content and standards across the value chain from source to end product. The ISCC+ certification works on what is known as a “mass balance system”, meaning that for each tonne of renewable feedstock fed into the cracker, a proportion of the output can be claimed as renewable.
SABIC intends to build a semi-commercial plant specifically to refine and upgrade pyrolysis oil feedstock, with the plant anticipated to enter commercial production in 2021.
To learn more about SABIC’s certified circular polymers, please visit SABIC’s stand D42, hall 6 at K 2019 in Dusseldorf from October 16 – 23, 2019 or visit www.SABIC.com.
- SABIC and brands marked with ™ are trademarks of SABIC or its subsidiaries or affiliates.
- SABIC should be written in every instance in all uppercase.
ABOUT SABIC
SABIC is a global leader in diversified chemicals headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We manufacture on a global scale in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific, making distinctly different kinds of products: chemicals, commodity and high performance plastics, agri-nutrients and metals.
We support our customers by identifying and developing opportunities in key end markets such as construction, medical devices, packaging, agri-nutrients, electrical and electronics, transportation and clean energy.
SABIC recorded a net profit of US$ 5.7 billion in 2018. Sales revenues for 2018 totaled US$ 45 billion while total assets stood at US$ 85 billion. Production in 2018 was 75.3 million metric tons.
SABIC has more than 33,000 employees worldwide and operates in around 50 countries. Fostering innovation and a spirit of ingenuity, we have 11,738 global patent filings, and have significant research resources with innovation hubs in five key geographies – USA, Europe, Middle East, South Asia and North Asia.
ABOUT UNILEVER
Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2.5 billion consumers a day. It has 161,000 employees and generated sales of €53.7 billion in 2017. Over half (57%) of the company’s footprint is in developing and emerging markets. Unilever has more than 400 brands found in homes all over the world, including Persil, Dove, Knorr, Domestos, Hellmann’s, Lipton, Wall’s, PG Tips, Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum and Lynx.
Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan underpins the company’s strategy and commits to:
- Helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020.
- Halving the environmental impact of our products by 2030.
- Enhancing the livelihoods of millions of people by 2020.
The USLP creates value by driving growth and trust, eliminating costs and reducing risks. The company’s sustainable living brands are growing 46% faster than the rest of the business and delivered 70% of the company’s growth in 2017.
Unilever was ranked as an industry leader in the 2018 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. In the FTSE4Good Index, it achieved the highest environmental score of 5. It led the list of Global Corporate Sustainability Leaders in the 2017 GlobeScan/SustainAbility annual survey for the seventh year running, and achieved four A ratings across Climate Change, Water, Forests and Supplier Engagement in CDP's 2018 Global Supply Chain report. Unilever has pledged to become carbon positive in its operations by 2030, and to ensure 100% of its plastic packaging is fully reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. For more information about Unilever and its brands, please visit www.unilever.com. For more information on the USLP: www.unilever.com/sustainable-living.
ABOUT VINVENTIONS
Vinventions’ vision is to be the most innovative, most sustainable and most trusted global supplier of Complete Wine Closure Solutions to the still and sparkling wine industry. Protecting every seventh bottle of wine worldwide with its closure solutions, Vinventions is the second largest wine closure supplier globally with strong organic sales growth in 2018. Today, Vinventions employs over 550 associates globally and operates seven production sites in USA, Belgium, Germany, France, Argentina, South Africa and China. The leadership values of Vinventions are based on customer proximity, innovation, local entrepreneurship, open teamwork, sustainability and long-term responsibility.
Find out more at www.vinventions.com.
ABOUT WALKI
Walki Group is a leading producer of technical laminates and protective packaging materials, specializing in the production of fibre based, intelligent, multi-laminate products for markets ranging from energy saving construction facings and construction membranes to barrier packaging applications. The Group has plants in Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, the UK, Russia and China with a workforce of about 900 people. Annual net sales for the Group are over 300 million Euros.
Find out more at www.walki.com.
ABOUT TUPPERWARE BRANDS
Tupperware Brands Corporation, through an independent sales force of 3.0 million, is the leading global marketer of innovative, premium products across multiple brands utilizing social selling. Product brands and categories include design-centric preparation, storage and serving solutions for the kitchen and home through the Tupperware brand and beauty and personal care products through the Avroy Shlain, Fuller Cosmetics, NaturCare, Nutrimetics and Nuvo brands.
For more information, follow Tupperware Brands on Facebook @TupperwareBrandsCorp, on Instagram at @TupperwareBrandsCorp and on Twitter at @TupperwareWW.
ABOUT ISCC
ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) is a globally leading sustainability certification system. It is applied by more than 3,300 companies in 100 countries. ISCC is an independent multi-stakeholder system used to verify compliance with strict sustainability, GHG and traceability requirements. The certification is carried out by independent third-party organizations. ISCC is a high-level standard, widely recognized by authorities and industry initiatives. It is governed by the ISCC Association comprising 112 Members. SABIC is a Member of the ISCC Association. A key objective of ISCC is to support the circular- and bioeconomy.
Find out more at: www.iscc-system.org.
SABIC Media Contacts
Lindsay Clarkmead
E: lindsay.clarkmead@sabic.com
T: +34 968 127 740
Marketing Solutions
Kevin Noels
E: knoels@marketing-solutions.com
T: +32 3 31 30 311
Disclaimer: The contents of this press release was provided from an external third party provider. This website is not responsible for, and does not control, such external content. This content is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis and has not been edited in any way. Neither this website nor our affiliates guarantee the accuracy of or endorse the views or opinions expressed in this press release.
The press release is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Neither this website nor our affiliates shall be liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the content, or for any actions taken by you in reliance thereon. You expressly agree that your use of the information within this article is at your sole risk.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, this website, its parent company, its subsidiaries, its affiliates and the respective shareholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, advertisers, content providers and licensors will not be liable (jointly or severally) to you for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, incidental, punitive or exemplary damages, including without limitation, lost profits, lost savings and lost revenues, whether in negligence, tort, contract or any other theory of liability, even if the parties have been advised of the possibility or could have foreseen any such damages.
