Launch of Thailand's first beverage bottles made from 100% recycled PET

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The joint venture between ALPLA and PTT Global Chemical (GC) introduces Thailand's first food-grade rPET to the market, which is already being used for Thailand's first 100% rPET bottles, said Petnology.

With Pepsi and Minere, the first two beverage brands in the Thai market are adopting the high-quality Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) material from ENVICCO for their plastic bottles. The joint venture partners, ALPLA and PTT Global Chemical (GC), inaugurated the state-of-the-art recycling facility in the Rayong province in September 2022. Thailand's first certification of food-grade rPET by the national FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the launch of the first 100 percent rPET bottles mark the next milestone in the joint venture's collaboration with the beverage industry.

"Investing in the circular economy is a win for everyone. The environment, economy, and society benefit from the careful and efficient recycling of used plastics, creating sustainable, affordable, and innovative products, as well as generating new jobs," says Bernd Wachter, ALPLA Corporate Director Circular Economy & Recycling Asia.

With an annual production capacity of 30,000 tons of recycled PET (rPET) and 15,000 tons of recycled HDPE (rHDPE), ENVICCO ranks among the largest recycling operations of its kind in all of Asia. The mechanical recycling process meets all quality, safety, and efficiency criteria for the production of food-grade PCR material. The rPET, labeled "InnoEco," was also certified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prior to its approval by Thai authorities.

We remind, Alpla Group has strengthened its commitment to the UK market with the acquisition of iTEC Packaging’s plant in Mansfield, UK. iTEC Packaging is a manufacturer specialising in injection moulding, thermoforming, extrusion and compression moulding. The company’s plant in Mansfield specialises in the production of closures primarily for dairy applications, but also for other food and beverage sectors.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Evonik has signed an agreement to scale up and produce custom catalyst for Rohm’s new methyl methacrylate (MMA) production plant in Bay City, Texas, USA, which is due to be opened in 2024, said the company.

“This agreement once again, underscores our commitment and capability in custom Catalysts arena. We’re delighted to be able to work with the Rohm team to enable commercial scale production of MMA,” said Sanjeev Taneja, Head of Evonik Catalysts.

“These catalysts play a key role in Rohm’s newly developed LiMA (Leading in Methacrylates) technology to produce MMA with efficient resource use and reduced environmental impact. In many ways, LiMA sets new standards and is the most efficient MMA production technology to have been developed.”

Compared to other MMA processes, the LiMA technology has clear sustainability advantages, as it enables a high yield with low energy consumption and reduced wastewater volumes.

We remind, Evonik, one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals, has expanded and started production at its rubber silanes plant, Evonik Lanxing (Rizhao) Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd. This state-of-the-art facility, a joint venture between Evonik Industries AG, DEG (Deutsche Investitions-und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH), and Rizhao Lanxing Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., is strategically located in the Rizhao Lanshan Chemical Industrial Park in Shandong province.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Origin Materials and Husky Technologies announced a milestone in the commercialization of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) incorporating the sustainable chemical FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid) for advanced packaging and other applications, said Petnology.

Origin Materials, a carbon negative materials company with a mission to enable the world’s transition to sustainable materials, and Husky Technologies announced a milestone in the commercialization of PET incorporating the sustainable chemical FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid) for advanced packaging and other applications.

Origin successfully polymerized the bio-based sustainable chemical FDCA into the common recyclable plastic, PET, and Husky molded the resulting “PET/F” hybrid polymer into preforms that were then blown into bottles. The companies used Husky’s injection molding technologies and manufacturing equipment, a commercial manufacturing-scale level of processing demonstrating the ability of PET/F, a polymer made with FDCA, to be integrated into existing PET production systems.

Origin expects to develop and sell a family of 100% bio-based, low-carbon PET/F polymers offering full recyclability and superior performance compared with traditional 100% petroleum-derived PET. Origin anticipates that PET/F will offer “tunable” performance, with properties like enhanced mechanical performance and superior barrier properties enabling longer shelf life controlled by adjusting manufacturing conditions and the quantity of FDCA copolymer.

This innovation demonstrates a pathway for the drop-in market adoption of FDCA to produce superior polymers cost-effectively from biomass using Origin technology. Origin expects to enable the production of FDCA, PEF (polyethylene furanoate), and PET/F at commercial scale using its patented technology platform, which turns the carbon found in sustainable wood residues into useful materials, while capturing carbon in the process.

We remind, Origin Materials, a leading carbon negative materials company with a mission to enable the world’s transition to sustainable materials, and Husky Technologies, a pioneering technology provider enabling the delivery of essential needs to the global community, announced a milestone in the commercialization of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) incorporating the sustainable chemical FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid) for advanced packaging and other applications.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Borouge PLC, a leading petrochemical company that provides innovative and differentiated polyolefin solutions, and Borealis, one of the world’s biggest polyolefin manufacturers, announced the launch of two new sustainable polymer products for the automotive industry, in line with both companies’ sustainability drive, said the company.

Made from up to 70% recycled materials, these are the first sustainable products developed at Borouge’s Compounding Manufacturing Plant (CMP) located in Shanghai, China, which recently received ISO 14067 certification for carbon footprint assessment.

Rainer Hoefling, Chief Executive Officer, Borouge Pte Ltd., said: “The launch of our latest products signals our strong commitment to sustainability. By using recycled materials, and developing products with a lower carbon footprint, we demonstrate how circular economy goals are achievable with tangible results today. We are proud of the relentless efforts and talent of our team, who embrace sustainability and ensure that our innovative solutions enable the rapid transition of the automotive industry towards a lower carbon footprint.”

The new polypropylene (PP) solutions, made from up to 70% post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials, have undergone ISO 14067 carbon footprint assessment certified by TUV Rheinland*, covering the products’ entire life cycle (from cradle to gate). These new grades reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption while delivering similar performance and consistent quality as original virgin compounds. The high PCR polymer content in these compounds supports the need to increase circularity and optimizes the use of precious natural resources.

The first solution, GD3565SYC, is a glass fibre reinforced polypropylene, containing 50% PCR, offering unprecedented performance, easy processability and excellent long-term heat resistance. With these properties, the product is considered ideal for under-body shields, bumper brackets and structural parts in cars. This grade reduces the carbon footprint by about 28% compared with virgin grades and can replace current virgin grades at Borouge's CMP without affecting quality standards.

The second solution, ED0701SYC, is an un-filled PP grade free of talc or glass fibres designed for the manufacture of wheel arches and other exterior components and contains a mixture of up to 70% post-consumer polypropylene and polyethylene. This material reduces carbon footprint by 32% compared to virgin grades while offering a perfect balance between impact strength and stiffness. Coupled with good processability and stability, the grade offers good surface quality for exterior applications.

We remind, Borouge Plc, a leading petrochemical company that provides innovative and differentiated polyolefin solutions, has entered into a Distribution Agreement with one of the biggest polyolefin distributors in East Africa, Somochem.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Westlake's Performance and Essential Materials (PEM) income from operations for 2Q 2023 of USD215 mln decreased by USD750 mln from 2Q 2022 income from operations of USD965 mln, said the company.

PEM's segment operating margin declined from 31% in 2Q 2022 to 10% in 2Q 2023 and EBITDA margin decreased from 37% in 2Q 2022 to 20% in 2Q 2023. Sequentially, Performance and Essential Materials income from operations decreased by USD188 mln as compared to 1Q 2023.

Sales volumes for Performance and Essential Materials decreased 4% while Housing and Infrastructure Products sales volumes increased 13% from the first quarter of 2023. Overall sales volumes for the Company increased 1% sequentially from the previous quarter. When compared to the second quarter of 2022, PEM sales volumes decreased 10% while HIP sales volumes decreased 18% resulting in a 13% overall sales volume decline for the Company.

In the second quarter of 2023, PEM's EBITDA margin decreased to 20% from 26% in the first quarter of 2023 while HIP's EBITDA margin increased to 22% from 20% over the same period of time. When compared to the second quarter of 2022, PEM's EBITDA margin decreased to 20% from 37% while HIP's EBITDA margin was unchanged at 22%.

We remind, Westlake’s Q1 net income fell 47.9% year on year to USD394m, the US-based chemicals and building products company reported. The main reasons for the decline were: Lower average sales prices and integrated margins in the company’s Performance Materials segment; Lower production and sales volumes, especially in the Housing and Infrastructure Products (HIP) segment. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell 36.5%, and the EBITDA margin fell to 25%, from 32% in Q1 2022.

Westlake is a global manufacturer and supplier of materials and innovative products that enhance life every day. Headquartered in Houston, with operations in Asia, Europe and North America, we provide the building blocks for vital solutions — from housing and construction, to packaging and healthcare, to automotive and consumer.

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