Brussels-based Solvay has entered into a strategic partnership with UK-based baby bottle manufacturer Hegen for the use of Duradex polyphenyl sulfone (PPSU) mass balance attributed in Hegen’s premium line of baby feeding bottles.
The Press-to-Close, Twist-to-Open (PCTO) line will be the first baby bottles made with mass balanced content in the market, according to the companies. Solvay and Hegen plan to launch the baby bottles by 2024.
Duradex PPSU is an amorphous, naturally amber-transparent polymer, free of artificial pigments, phthalates and bisphenols, such as BPA. The material is linked to 54% allocated circular, non-fossil feedstock, which is third-party mass-balance (MB) verified under the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification Plus (ISCC Plus) mass balance accounting regime. The mass balance approach is a process for determining the use of chemically recycled or bio-based feedstock in a final product when both recycled and virgin feedstock, or bio-based and fossil feedstock, have been used in the process.
The United Kingdom is currently undergoing an open consultation on the impacts of chemical recycling for plastics and the potential use of a mass balance approach to account for chemically recycled content for purposes of the Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT). In the European Union, there is still uncertainty surrounding the acceptance of the mass balance methodology to calculate the recycled content of plastics in products.
Solvay’s Durade PPSU MB polymer is high scratch resistant and stain resistant, does not absorb odours, and delivers an inherently non-stick surface. It combines exceptional hydrolytic stability and shatter-proof toughness with high heat resistance. These properties also qualify the lightweight, ergonomically shaped and wide-opening bottles for more than 1,000 steam or hot water sterilisation as well as dishwasher cycles without the risk of any damage, Solvay said in a statement.
“Brand owners and manufacturers in the childcare market are increasingly seeking to improve the sustainability of their products without compromising safety, efficiency or convenience,” said Guillaume Meunier, head of marketing, life solutions at Solvay. “Hegen’s baby feeding and drinking bottles are widely acknowledged for their high quality and use the highest-purity materials to ensure a healthy and comfortable feeding experience for both mother and child. We are very pleased to announce that the company has decided to adopt our mass-balance certified PPSU for moulding their iconic bottles.”
Hegen’s PCTO baby feeding bottles will be showcased at Solvay’s booth at the Fakuma 2023 show (Booth 4213 in Hall B4).