LyondellBasell Launches Suite of Circular Polymers to Improve Sustainability of Consumer Products
Plastics, chemicals and refining company LyondellBasell announced today the launch of Circulen, a suite of circular polymers, aimed at improving the sustainability of consumer products. The Circulen product family supports the reduction of plastic waste through the use of recycled content, and a lower carbon footprint through the use of renewable-based content as compared to feedstock from fossil-based sources.
The Circulen portfolio is organized into three primary categories, including CirculenRecover, CirculenRevive and CirculenRenew.
CirculenRecover uses a mechanical recycling process to produce recycled resins, recovering pre- and post-consumer plastic waste from the environment.
CirculenRevive addresses at scale the challenge of hard-to-recycle plastics, taking plastic waste that is not easily recovered by mechanical recycling and converting it into a feedstock to produce new polymers, and allowing for larger volumes of plastic waste to return back into the value chain as high-quality polymers while accomplishing a lower CO2 footprint.
CirculenRenew utilizes renewable feedstocks such as used cooking oil to create a variety of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE) grades that are equivalent to virgin resin quality while reducing fossil feedstock use and helping to reduce CO2 over the product life cycle.
LyondellBasell stated that the new launch marks a step in the company’s sustainability goal of producing and marketing two million metric tons of recycled and renewable-based polymers annually by 2030.
Ken Lane, LyondellBasell Executive Vice President Global Olefins and Polyolefins, said:
“With the new Circulen product portfolio, we are taking concrete action to advance the circular economy today, innovate for the future and partner across the value chain. Our ambition is bold, yet necessary, and we are committed to doing our part to help address the global challenges of plastic waste in the environment and climate change while meeting customer and brand owner needs.”