Follow the carrot: SABIC adds Schwarz supermarkets to expanding circular plastics clientele

28 Oct 2020 --- SABIC is instigating a pilot project with Schwarz multinational retail group using transparent vegetable film bags made from 100 percent certified circular polyethylene (PE). The project involves multiple PE technologies from Sabic’s Trucircle materials portfolio produced via mixed and used plastic feedstock recycling.

Select Lidl and Kaufland stores in Germany are introducing the 1 kg organic carrot bags between October and December 2020.

“We hope SABIC’s collaboration with Schwarz will demonstrate how our Trucircle portfolio of circular solutions can help customers capture value from material sources that have traditionally been ignored or discarded for a range of applications, including vegetable packaging,” Mark Vester, Sabic’s circular economy leader, tells PackagingInsights.

The carrot bags use low-density and linear low-density PE (LDPE/LLDPE), high-density PE (HDPE), and Supeer metallocene PE (mPE) resins.

The application’s properties are identical to fossil-based PE feedstock due to the advanced feedstock recycling process.

“This process recovers the material value of mixed and used plastic, including previously difficult to recycle post-consumer plastics, which could otherwise be lost to landfill or incineration,” explains Vester.

“These used plastics are converted into an oil, which then enters the production chain just like fossil-based feedstock to deliver new materials without compromising on quality.”

Trucircle take off
SABIC’s Trucircle portfolio showcases the company’s circular innovations, providing manufacturers with access to more environmentally sustainable materials, recyclability designs, mechanically recycled products, certified circular products from used plastic recycling, and certified renewable products from bio-based feedstock.Orkla is launching its first chips pack using certified renewable PP from the Trucircle portfolio.

The chemical industry leader is working with partners to increase its certified circular polymers supply through the planned construction of its first commercial plant, situated in the Netherlands.

“The [Trucircle] project relies on value chain collaborations and innovations on an unprecedented scale and will help SABIC to upscale the production of certified circular polymers significantly,” continues Vester.

“Once our new commercial plant comes online, we’ll gain further knowledge on the scale-up of the pretreatment technology and continue to support a growing demand for certified circular polymers.”

“As for many innovations, the creation of a supportive regulatory framework that accepts this new form of advanced recycling as a contribution to recycling targets is very important.”

Renewable polypropylene chip packs
The increased demand is evident in a recently announced partnership with Orkla, a diversified Nordic foods, snacks, food care for sport and food ingredients brand owner.

Orkla is launching its first chips packaging using certified renewable polypropylene (PP) polymer from the Trucircle portfolio.SABIC Albéa and Estée Lauder’s Origins brand is debuting a beauty tube made from SABIC’s certified circular PE.

The material is derived from tall oil, a residual product from the Nordic forestry industry, and converted into a Biaxially Oriented PP (BOPP) by Irplast, a prominent Italian vertically integrated manufacturer of specialty S-BOPP films and converter of printed shrinkable BOPP roll-fed labels and PSA tapes.

SABIC indicates the Orkla chip pack cuts the three partner’s carbon footprint in half compared to traditional non-renewable plastics.

This week, a collaboration between SABIC, Albéa and Estée Lauder’s Origins brand is debuting an “advanced beauty tube pack.” The tube is made from SABIC’s certified circular PE and the cap from certified circular PP.

The launch takes place in 2021 with Origins’ best-selling Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask. The solution marks the first time a prestige beauty brand is featuring certified circular polyolefins from Trucircle in a tube.

The road to recyclable
Lidl and Kaufland reached a transnational agreement to reduce plastic consumption for product and secondary packaging by 20 percent as part of a Schwarz-wide plastics strategy. The strategy includes making all plastic packaging for Lidl and Kaufland own-brands 100 percent recyclable by 2025.

“Our comprehensive strategy is to make all Lidl and Kaufland brand plastic packaging as recyclable as possible by 2025. We strive to close material cycles and save resources,” says Dietmar Böhm, managing director of GreenCycle, which serves as a waste management and recycling service provider for Schwarz and other companies.

By Joshua Poole