Borealis launches new lines with recycled resins in packaging

Borealis AG is delving into two different programs involving recycled materials in packaging.

First, the resin giant introduced a new portfolio of circular polyolefin products, produced with renewable feedstock derived entirely from waste and residue streams.

These streams include waste from vegetable oil production as well as oil waste and residues; from the timber industry and, for example, cooking oil from the food industry.

The Vienna-based company has launched the new product range under the brand name Bornewables.

The Bornewables products, the company said, have the same properties and offer the same material performance as virgin polyolefins, yet with a reduced carbon footprint. Suitable for the full range of applications, including hygiene and food-contact, customers now have a readily available alternative to conventional fossil fuel-based feedstocks — allowing users to lower the carbon footprint of their own products without having to compromise on quality or performance.

While fossil fuel-based feedstocks will continue to be a mainstay of international Borealis polyolefins production operations, the company said significant strides have been made towards the use of more sustainable feedstocks in large-scale commercial manufacture.

In March 2020, for example, Borealis began producing polypropylene based on renewably sourced feedstocks, such as Neste-produced renewable propane, at its Belgian facilities in Kallo and Beringen.

The entire Bornewables portfolio has been ISCC Plus certified. This certification system ensures the traceability of the renewable, sustainably produced feedstock from its point of origin through the entire chain of custody.

Borealis also teamed up with Georg Menshen GmbH & Co. KG, a Germany-headquartered expert in plastic closures and packaging systems, to collaborate on a series of 10 packaging closures based on Borealis' Borcycle recycling technology, which is used to produce high-quality compounds based on recycled polyolefins for use in rigid packaging applications.

The technology, which Borealis says is still evolving, draws on the company's recycling and compounding expertise and on its proprietary Borstar multi-modal and nucleation technologies.

The closures are targeted at laundry and home-care applications.

Menshen has a rigorous process in place to ensure that the quality of the post-consumer recycled (PCR) material selected for a closure fits with its required functionality.

The partners ultimately selected Borcycle UG522MO, a polypropylene compound made of 50 percent PCR content. The compound offers a potential reduction of CO2 emissions of up to 15 percent when compared to use of comparable virgin PP. Its reliable and consistent quality make it ideal for rigid packaging applications; it offers a ready-made, drop-in solution with processability matching that of virgin polyolefin materials and is easily recycled in existing PCR streams.

"The functionality of a closure may be affected by natural variations in PCR materials. By leveraging our respective areas of expertise, Menshen and Borealis can determine which ratios of recyclate and virgin material are appropriate for which applications," said Ulrich Fleischer, Menshen head of sustainability.

"Teaming up with Menshen to deliver high-quality closures made of 50 percent recycled PCR is proof positive that innovation and teamwork can move the industry closer to a circular economy," said Meta Cigon, Borealis marketing manager for consumer products.