SABIC Takes Another Major Step in Advanced Recycling

SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, announced the launch of certified circular polycarbonate (PC) resin and blends produced from the recycling of mixed consumer waste plastic – a first in the sector. This advanced recycling-based solution demonstrates SABIC's continued commitment to advancing towards a circular economy for plastics by increasing the availability of more sustainable products.

According to an internal SABIC LCA study[1], certified circular polycarbonate offers a potential carbon footprint reduction of up to 23% compared to similar products.

Abdullah S. Al-Otaibi, General Manager of SABIC ETP and Market Solutions, said "As another important contribution towards developing a circular economy for plastics, we are proud to have developed a new solution that can help our customers achieve their sustainability targets and create value by increasing the volume of recycled post-consumer mixed plastic they process," and added "SABIC is continuously expanding its sustainability offerings and, particularly in ETP (engineering thermoplastics), new solutions in our polycarbonate portfolio to help support our customers' growing needs for circular content and reducing CO2 footprint."

Part of SABIC's TRUCIRCLE™ circular solutions portfolio, certified circular polycarbonate is produced through advanced recycling of post-consumer mixed plastic that would otherwise be sent to incineration or landfill. Through a process called pyrolysis, used plastic that is difficult to recycle is broken down into a liquid called pyrolysis oil. This is then used as a feedstock to create certified circular building blocks for high-performance plastics with the same properties as virgin material – in this case, polycarbonate.

Polycarbonate – more specifically LEXAN™ resin – including PC blends such as CYCOLOY™ and XENOY™ resins, form part of SABIC's comprehensive ETP portfolio. Customers in sectors such as E&E (Electrical & Electronics), Automotive, Healthcare, and Consumer Products can use certified circular polycarbonate under the same processing conditions as those used for virgin-based grades.

This polycarbonate is certified by an independent third party under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) scheme using a standard mass balance approach that provides a method for verification of recycled material content across pre-defined and transparent rules. Additionally, the widely recognized ISCC PLUS accreditation provides SABIC with traceability across the supply chain with physical linkage from feedstock to final product and requires a chain of custody based on a mass balance system.

SABIC's TRUCIRCLE portfolio, launched in 2019, is an important milestone in closing the loop and creating a circular economy for plastics, aiming to provide producers with access to more sustainable materials. The TRUCIRCLE portfolio encompasses design for recyclability, mechanically recycled products, certified circular products from feedstock recycling of used plastics, certified renewable products from bio-based feedstocks, and closed-loop initiatives to recycle plastic into high-quality applications, helping prevent valuable used plastics from becoming waste.

[1] Based on an internal SABIC LCA study, which is an extension of a SABIC LCA study critically reviewed by ISO. The study takes into account the impacts resulting from diversion of plastic waste from incineration/energy recovery.