SABIC pioneers first production of certified circular polymers

SABIC has announced a major milestone in its project to pioneer the production of certified circular polymers using a feedstock from mixed plastic waste.

This market foundation stage is an important step towards creating a new circular value chain for plastics, during which, initial volumes of pyrolysis oil from plastic waste are introduced as feedstock at SABIC’s Geleen production site in the Netherlands.

The patented pyrolysis oil has been produced by Plastic Energy from the recycling of low quality, mixed waste plastic otherwise destined for incineration or landfill.

As part of the market foundation stage, SABIC has begun to produce and commercialise the first monthly volumes of certified circular polymers PE and PP prior to the protected start-up in 2021 of the commercial plants planned by SABIC and Plastic Energy in the Netherlands to manufacture and process the alternative feedstock.

Frank Kuijpers, General Manager for Corporate Sustainability for SABIC, said: “Certified circular polymers are a disruptive innovation and SABIC’s market foundation stage is a critical phase in their development.”

“It will act as a bridge moving from a linear economy to a circular one and will enable the value chain to become familiar with the products and consider how they can be best implemented in their own markets. It will allow confidence in this pioneering product to grow before SABIC goes into full scale production.”