Green materials: Sabic introduces rHDPE lubricant bottles in Saudi Arabia; Sabic/Scientex develop PP flexible food packaging using PCR plastic

Chemical firm Sabic says it has introduced a new high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with mechanically recycled content as part of its Trucircle brand. The material was custom-developed for blow moulding of motor oil and lubricant bottles. It has a content in the range of 30% mechanically recycled post-consumer plastic.

The initiative aims to drive toward a full closed loop from bottle to bottle in the Saudi Arabian automotive aftermarket.   

The development of HDPE T3K01B needed to overcome several technical challenges. The final material solution with 30% post-consumer recycled content has been thoroughly tested at Sabic’s Plastics Application Development Centre (SPDAC) in Riyadh. It shows the same batch-to-batch consistency, process ability and in-use properties as Sabic’s all-virgin HDPE blow-moulding grade. Reliable bottle performance was confirmed in comprehensive practical trials, including standard drop impact, top load and dimensional stability testing, it adds.

According to the Sabic internal life cycle assessment study, the 30% post-consumer mechanically recycled compound offers a carbon footprint reduction in the range of 20% when compared to a 100% virgin HDPE grade.

In related news, Sabic collaborated with Malaysian packaging specialist Scientex in the packaging value chain to enable the manufacturer to develop material for what is said to be the world’s first flexible food packaging made based on advanced recycled OBP, using Sabic certified circular polypropylene (PP). The material is being used in a premium brand noodles packaging sold in Malaysia.

OBP is abandoned plastic waste found in areas up to 50 km inland from waterways that may eventually be washed into the ocean by rainfall, rivers or tides.

“Thanks to this highly efficient collaboration with Sabic, we are able to bring the world’s first advance recycled flexible PP food packaging to the Asian market, using circular OBP,” states Paul Ng Kok Leong, Head of BOPP Film Division, Scientex Group. “This successful initiative demonstrates the feasibility of tackling the plastic waste issue through dedicated value chain collaborations and sets a milestone in shaping a circular plastics economy in Malaysia and across Southeast Asia.”

The OBP used in the project is recovered and converted to pyrolysis oil in an advanced recycling process. Sabic uses this oil as an alternative feedstock to produce certified circular PP polymer for further processing to BOPP film. Scientex then manufactures and prints the noodle packs from this film. The entire chain from the management of the collected OBP to the final packaging is seamlessly accredited under established certification regimes.

With a mass balance accounted OBP content of 30%, the certified circular PP from Sabic is said to perform the same way as incumbent fossil-based virgin PP and could be used as a direct drop-in alternative in this flexible food packaging application, without the need to change its existing assets and processes.

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