Avantium and BASF receives circular economy boost

The European PET Bottle Platform (EPBP) has given interim approval for the recyclability of polyethylenefuranoate (PEF) in the European bottle recycling market.

PEF has been developed by Synvina, a joint venture between Avantium and BASF.

Following the assessment by EPBP, PEF bottles, which are produced by Synvina in Amsterdam, are expected to be disposable through existing recovery systems the same way as PET, the conventional material for plastic bottles.

The interim approval applies to a PEF market penetration of up to two per cent, which corresponds to the amount of PEF that could be produced from Synvina’s intended 50,000 tonnes reference plant for furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA).

FDCA made from renewable resources is the main building block for PEF, and a final statement based on PEF quality, packaging designs, and regional launch markets will be issued before market introduction of the material.

Patrick Schiffers, CEO of Synvina, said: “EPBP confirms that consumers are expected to be able to return or dispose PEF bottles the way they are used to with PET bottles. This is a major milestone for our innovative material based on renewables. The recyclability has become one of the most important aspects for the packaging industry to meet the standards of the circular economy. EPBP’s interim approval confirms that with PEF we are able to offer solutions for our customers to meet these standards.”

PEF quantities in the European packaging market are expected to exceed the two per cent market share on a medium term, so Synvina has been working jointly with recyclers and brand owners to develop a dedicated recycling stream for PEF based bottles to separate the valuable PEF from conventional plastics.