Tiago Carneiro noted that the company was cooperating with virtually all the chemical recyclers that currently are able to operate at significant scale. Selenis runs a pilot plant in Italy with R&D capabilities which is used for testing. “There, we are able to polymerise 25 to 50 kg per day of any material, any monomer, any catalysts whatsoever. We use it for internal product development, but are also seeing quite a lot of demand from chemical recyclers who wish to test their product on a small scale. Because it is batch-to-batch production, it’s possible to really customize the recipe.” In continuous production, everything has to stop if you want to change something, he explained, adding that Selenis also operates an R & D batch line at its Portuguese facility, where industrial scale tests can be carried out.
“We also have a new plant opening up in Tunisia in 2025, with continuous lines, where we will be producing recycled PETG, but mainly bio PETG. That is going to be pretty significant in the future.”
Biobased in the mix
Since 2023, Selenis has partnered with UPM Chemicals, from whom it obtains bio-monoethylene glycol – better known as bio-MEG - from second-generation biobased sources. Marketed by UPM under the brand name UPM BioPura, the bio-MEG is produced from sustainably sourced, certified hardwood obtained from forests in the regions around Leuna in Germany, where the company is building the world’s first industry scale biorefinery converting woody biomass into next generation biochemicals.
“We partnered with UPM and also with Bormioli Pharma, an international producer of pharmaceutical packaging and medical devices in Italy, and have now gained approval - Pharmacopoeia approval - for the first European Union pharma bottle derived from up to 30% biofeedstock. So that's one of our most recent launches,” said Santos.
Selenis is also exploring the potential of PEF, a bio-polyester that can be processed like PET but that has higher barrier properties. It has been working with Netherlands-based Avantium since 2018 on the polymerization of FDCA at the facilities in Portugal.
“The specific properties of PEF on the moisture level and also regarding the oxygen barrier can offer improvements in medical packaging applications. Specifically, it can help with the shift away from the use of PVC. We are working with Avantium to develop the right recipe for these applications.”
Recycled plus bio
In June, Selenis announced the successful production of recycled PET chips from terephthalic acid provided by Circ, a US-based textile-to-textile recycler boasting proprietary technology able to separate polycotton blended textile waste and recover both cellulosic and synthetic fibres.
The chip was produced via batch processing at Selenis' pilot plant in San-Giorgio, Italy using inputs recovered from polycotton textile waste. The monomer synthesis was shown to perform similarly to virgin terephthalic acid, said Santos. The results are a promising indication of the consistent quality of Circ's monomer output and future commercial success.
The output was processed into DTY yarn and will be used in product development as Circ builds additional capsule launches. Selenis is now also working toward an offtake partnership in support of Circ's first industrial facility.
As a result of this collaboration, Selenis is now also able to develop renewably sourced PETG products using PTA derived from recovered terephthalic acid from Circ and bio-MEG from UPM.
Demand is changing
The question which then arises is why the emphasis on renewable and recycled solutions now? After all, under the PPWR, exemptions are currently in place regarding many types of pharma and medical packaging.
“The PPWR is shaking things up,” said Santos. “And the future is uncertain when it comes to the EU and regulations like this – who knows what is in store with the new government. There has been talk of a review in February 2025, and there may be a push for blister packaging, for example, to be included not only in the recyclability targets, but also the recycled content ones. As a result, we are in contact with numerous brand owners in the pharma and medical field. The top five companies are already talking with us about these changes.”
He sees an increased interested in both biobased and chemically recycled materials. “Brand owners are starting to come to us to understand what these technologies are and how they can help them to become compliant in the future with new sustainability requirements.”
An area in which demand is starting to pick up slightly is the sleeve market, Tiago mentioned. He sees broadly speaking, two groups among who interest in alternative options is growing. “First we have those who want to promote circularity; they want more value-based, recyclable or chemical recycling solutions. Then there are others whose goal is to decrease their products’ carbon footprint and improve the LCA as fast as they can. They have put their necks on the line and see 2025 and 2030 approaching fast. And they see their competitors starting to make changes,” he said. “I think they see the biobased material as a shortcut to reduce their LCA , lower their carbon footprint.”
It also helps that the performance of the more sustainable choices is the same. Actually, that’s the best part, according to Santos. “In terms of purity, it's the same; the mechanical properties are the same, as is the chemical resistance, the optical properties - all the same. It's plug and play, a drop in solution.”
The latest news is that Selenis is now partnering with a US-based start-up that has developed a special coating for PETG sleeves, enabling these to be recycled. The start-up already has industrial scale capacity, Santos enthused. Another advantage is that the coating enables the inks to be washed off – without any cross contamination. The coating is applied to the film, enabling it to be recycled in stream 1 without the clumping that usually occurs when PET is processed with PETG. “It’s goes up against C-PET, but is a more sustainable choice,” said Carneiro.
Meanwhile, to get to 100% recycled or renewably sourced materials, partnerships are required with the companies that offer the relevant chemical expertise, he noted.
“We are talking with all of them,” said Santos. “Right now, in a sense, we are connecting the entire value chain – from recyclers to end products and brand owners with our materials.”
This article first appeared in the July/August edition of Sustainable Plastics.
