Borealis has partnered with the Vienna water department (Wiener Wasser) and Pipelife, a pipe manufacturing company, to develop chemically recycled drinking water pressure pipes.
The all-Austrian partnership has installed around 660 metres of polyethylene PE100-RC (crack resistant) drinking water pressure pipes in Vienna. The pipes are made of Borealis’ grade BorSafe Bc HE3490-LS-H-90 with over 90% attributed recycled content, verified by ISCC Plus certification.
The company said creating drinking water pressure pipes from recycled plastic posed a ‘significant challenge’ due to the high purity and quality requirements of high demand applications. Borelis used its Borcycle C pyrolysis technology to recycle polyolefin-based waste into new, virgin-quality plastics that are capable of meeting stringent performance standards not yet met by mechanically recycled PE and PP.
“This is an excellent example of how our infrastructure pipe solutions are enabling life’s essentials,” said John Webster, Borealis global commercial director infrastructure. “We have a long track record of providing innovative and advanced pipe solutions for the global infrastructure industry. In expanding our offering to include more sustainable solutions, we’re pleased to continue this legacy.”
Pipelife compounded the recycled material using existing equipment, the companies said in a statement. The chemically recycled PE pipes have an expected lifespan of over 100 years.
"We aim to support our customers by anticipating their future needs and developing processes and products to meet them,” says Zoran Davidovski, Pipelife head of research & development and sustainability. “Integrating chemically recycled materials into our product range is a perfect example of this, and also aligns with our own commitment to advancing sustainability,” he added.
Borealis has previously developed sustainable materials for pipe applications, including renewable cross-linked PE (PEX) with a carbon-footprint up to 90% lower than its virgin counterpart.
Sustainability is gaining ground in the construction sector, the second largest end user market for plastics in Europe after packaging. According to data from Plastics Europe, the building and construction sector in Europe consumes around 10 million tonnes of plastics each year, 20% of total European plastics consumption. Plastic pipes account for the majority of all new pipe installations, with well over 50% of the annual tonnage.
In 2018, 26% of plastic used in construction in Europe was mechanically recycled, 47.5% was used for energy recovery, and 26.5% was landfilled.