US packaging giant Berry Global Group Inc. and materials supplier Saudi Basic Industries Corp. have announced a partnership to create and use polyolefin resins made from chemical recycling.
Sabic has produced what is being called "initial volumes of these certified circular polymers" that Berry has used to manufacture a "recyclable, coextruded stand-up pouch containing 30%" of this recaptured material.
"Berry has committed to continue to utilise a portion of these materials, which have the potential to be used in polypropylene or polyethylene applications in the company's European consumer packaging facilities," the company reports in its announcement.
"We place a high value on innovation surrounding the methods by which we recover valuable plastic materials," Berry CEO Tom Salmon said in a statement. "Sabic's timeline for beginning semi-commercial production is one of the fastest we have seen in the industry and we were eager to join with them in initiatives that support circular economy."
Bob Maughon, executive vice president of sustainability, technology and innovation at Sabic, said in a statement that his firm is "the first petrochemical company to implement a project for the chemical recycling of challenging plastic waste into feedstock for steam crackers."
Berry believes there is room for both chemical recycling and mechanical recycling of plastics.
"We anticipate chemical recycling will play a critical role in the reuse of valuable materials, keeping more plastics in the value chain and out of the waste stream," Salmon said in the announcement.