In a joint recycling project, Mars, Sabic and Landbell are working on a circular alternative for the flexible packaging of the KIND snack bar. The mono-material application consists of certified and circular PP.
Sabic has joined forces with Mars and Landbell in an advanced recycling project designed to close the loop on flexible packaging using certified circular polypropylene (PP) from the company’s TRUCIRCLE-portfolio. In a joint initiative with major market players, biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film based on SABIC’s certified circular PP from feedstock recycling of post-consumer, used plastics will be introduced by Mars in the packaging of their KIND primary healthy snack bar brand.
“We are very excited about this pioneering closed-loop project that demonstrates the feasibility and speed of implementing circular plastic innovations when leading actors from across the entire value chain are closely collaborating. Used flexible packaging has a high feedstock value for new materials, and our TRUCIRCLE polymers and services form an instrumental element in tapping this vast potential.”
Lada Kurelec, General Manager PP, PET, PS, PVC, PU & Elastomers Businesses for Petrochemicals at Sabic
The new mono-material packaging solution continues the partners’ efforts to support a circular economy by incorporating advanced recycled content in healthy snack bar packaging.
“At Mars, we want to contribute to a circular economy where packaging material never becomes waste, but is recycled, reused or composted. For this to happen, we need new solutions and infrastructure to change the recycling landscape and to complement mechanical recycling. Today marks another important step in accelerating our sustainable packaging journey and in our collaboration with partners like Sabic that are enabling new opportunities to provide consumers with packaging designed for circularity.”
Barry Parkin, Chief Procurement & Sustainability Officer at Mars
The loop starts with the collection of mixed used plastics coordinated by Landbell Group. Landbell works with Hündgen Entsorgung to sort the mixed used plastics and delivers the mixed material to Plastic Energy, a global leader in advanced recycling technology, where it is converted to pyrolysis oil in a patented thermal anaerobic conversion process. The pyoil serves as alternative feedstock in Sabic’s production process of virgin-quality food-contact approved PP polymer, which is pelletized and supplied to Taghleef Industries, a world leading provider of biaxially oriented PP (BOPP) film.
“Mixed used plastic from flexible consumer packaging is difficult to sort and recycle mechanically. However, as demonstrated in this closed-loop project, we can facilitate effective advanced recycling solutions that allow plastics and packaging manufacturers as well as OEMs and brand owners to reclaim and benefit from the value of mixed used plastics while at the same time reducing fossil depletion and enhancing their carbon footprint.”
Uwe Echteler, Chief Operating Officer, for Landbell Group
SIT Group, a key supplier of high-quality printed flexible plastic packaging to the European consumer market, uses the BOPP film manufactured by Taghleef with Sabic’s certified circular polymer to create printed BOPP roll-fed packaging for KIND brand snack bars and delivers it to Mars, Incorporated, a global leader in confectionery, food, and pet food products. The joint initiative will help the partners implement their ambitious targets of reducing the volume of fossil-sourced plastics and accelerate the transition to a more circular plastics economy.
The new flexible BOPP packaging structure made with circular PP food-grade is another important milestone towards enabling mono-material applications that facilitate end-of-life recycling in existing collection and conversion streams without compromising on quality or ease of processing. Mars has already incorporated certified circular PP polymer from Sabic’s TRUCIRCLE portfolio in the primary packaging of some of its popular wet pet food brand SHEBA. After successful piloting, the certified circular PP food-grade will now be introduced into the KIND snack bar wrap as part of the group’s plans to increase its volumes of recycle content also in other brand products packaging.
Source: Sabic
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