Circulen used in Toppits and Albal cling film
In addition to polymers made from recycled post-consumer plastic waste, LyondellBasell produces polypropylene (PP) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) made from renewable raw materials as an alternative to fossil-derived resources.
In 2019, we collaborated with Neste to achieve the first parallel production of PP and LDPE derived from renewable resources at a commercial scale. The project used Neste’s renewable hydrocarbons produced from vegetable oil and waste oils as feedstock and successfully produced several thousand tons of plastics.
LyondellBasell’s Circulen grades of PP and LDPE made from Neste’s renewable raw materials offer the same high-quality properties as conventional plastics in terms of mechanical and product performance and they can be used in food packaging.
A life cycle assessment conducted by Neste in 2016 showed significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions for polymers produced from renewable feedstock when compared with their petroleum-based equivalents. The results were verified by an independent third party in accordance with ISO 14040-14044 and 14067 requirements.
Circulen is helping Cofresco, a company of the Melitta Group and Europe´s leading supplier of branded household films, reduce its carbon footprint and increase the use of renewable content.
Cofresco chose Circulen LDPE for use in its Toppits® and Albal® cling film. It is an important step Cofresco is taking towards a more sustainable product portfolio and achieving their goal of becoming 100 % circular by 2025.
Circulen offers products with reduced greenhouse gas emissions over the products’ life cycle. Circulen products are sold using mass balance-based certificates, while Circulen Plus offers measurable bio-content which can be determined by carbon-14 analysis and stated as a parameter on the Certificate of Analysis.
In 2020, LyondellBasell and Neste are conducting a joint life cycle assessment study to measure the environmental performance of our Circulen products using Neste renewable feedstock. This study is being conducted in accordance with the requirements of ISO 14040-14044 and ISO 14067 and will be critically reviewed by an independent panel of experts.
Polymers made from renewable feedstock have lower greenhouse gas emissions over their life cycle when compared with petroleum-based equivalents.