SABIC has announced its ground-breaking project to pioneer the production of certified circular polymers using a feedstock from mixed plastic waste.

The production of the first certified circular polymers is part of what is known as a ‘market foundation stage’. Launched in January, this stage is an important step towards creating a new circular value chain for plastics, during which, initial volumes of pyrolysis oil from plastic waste are introduced as feedstock at SABIC’s Geleen production site in The Netherlands.

SABIC has begun to produce and commercialise the first monthly volumes of certified circular polymers – polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) – prior to the projected start-up in 2021 of the commercial plants planned by SABIC and PLASTIC ENERGY.

“Certified circular polymers will act as a bridge between linear economy and circular enabling familiarity of value chain with products and considering their best implementation in their own markets,” said Frank Kuijpers, General Manager Corporate Sustainability at SABIC.