Viridis 25 is a new food-grade polyethylene terephthalate using up to 25% chemically recycled PET as feedstock. Made by Equipolymers (EQP), a subsidiary of the Kuwaiti petrochemical giant Equate Group, Viridis 25 is now available and will primarily be targeted the European market.
The project was started by EQP as part of their sustainability strategy in 2009, with the aim increasing the amount of recycled PET for use in, for example, bottles. First came Viridis 10, a PET grade containing up to 10% recycled PET. However, when a major brand owner sought technology EQP to increase the amount of recycled material in its PET, the more ambitious V25 project was launched. The process was validated in 2018 and scaled up for industrial production. Viridis 25 complies with the relevant European regulations for food contact plastics and can be used in the beverage bottle production as well as in thermoforming applications.
As Naser Aldousari, Senior Vice President at the Equate Group noted, the successful development of Viridis 25 was a ‘collaborative effort between the petrochemical and commercial business communities’.
“Producing a 25 per cent chemically recycled PET is a significant milestone,” he added.
The strong demand for PET bottles is making it imperative to develop a sustainable product that meets quality of life and public health needs, and ‘chemical recycling technology has opened new horizons for the plastic industry’, said Muayad Al-Faresi, Global Business Director, PET at EQP.
“EQP has tapped into this opportunity, making it a focus area to foster future innovation.”