Nova Chemicals to build major plastics recycling plant in Indiana

NOVA Chemicals Corp. (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) has made a significant expansion of its Circular Solutions business by announcing an investment into developing its first mechanical recycling facility in Connersville, Ind., said Chemengonline.

The facility will process post-consumer plastic films to produce the company’s SYNDIGO recycled polyethylene (rPE) at commercial scale as early as 2025, delivering over 100 million pounds of rPE to the market by 2026. NOVA Chemicals plans to expand its recycling footprint over the next several years to help it reach its industry-leading 2030 ambition of 30 per cent recycled content as a share of its total polyethylene sales.

The company recently announced its 2030 Roadmap to Sustainability Leadership aspirations, including its anticipated investment of between USD2-4 billion by 2030 to expand its sustainable product offerings, decarbonize its assets, and build a state-of-the-art mechanical recycling business while exploring new advanced recycling technologies.

“NOVA Chemicals continues to show clear leadership in reshaping plastics for a better, more sustainable world,” said NOVA Chemicals President and CEO, Roger Kearns. “We are committed to helping our customers achieve their recycled content goals through a variety of business models and we look forward to making more announcements like this as we work to enable a low-carbon, zero plastic waste future.”

We remind, NOVA Chemicals Corporation ("NOVA Chemicals") and Plastic Energy have entered into an agreement to explore the feasibility of developing a pyrolysis-driven advanced recycling facility in the Sarnia, ON, Canada, region. If constructed, the facility would be the largest of its kind in Canada with a potential initial capacity of 66,000 tonnes/y.

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EU27 chemical production is expected to decline by about 8% in 2023 compared to the previous year, with no imminent recovery of chemical demand in Europe, said the agency.

This outlook applies to nearly all segments of the business, while consumer chemicals are more resilient.

This economic outlook follows a weak start to the year. The first 4 months of 2023 have not delivered a strong recovery after the slump of production in Q4 2022. In Q1 2023, production volume already declined by 13,5% in comparison to the previous year.

The capacity utilisation levels of Q1 2023 show levels similar to the ones seen during the first Covid lockdown in 2020. In Q1, capacity utilisation levels are around 75% of normal levels. Demand from customers also showed a negative trend: domestic and export demand remained very weak and chemicals inventories needed to be reduced even further. Indicators for the European chemical industry still point to a further decline in incoming orders.

We remind, A group of refiners plan to file a lawsuit challenging the Biden administration's rejection of waivers to exempt oil refiners from biofuel blending mandates which has left some on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars. The Environmental Protection Agency, which has the authority to issue the waivers, on Friday denied exemption requests from 15 small refineries in a move that corn farmers and ethanol producers welcomed.

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The European Union (EU) is working on revising its rules on packaging and packaging waste to align with its goal of creating a low-carbon circular economy, said Packaging-gateway.

Despite previous attempts to enforce stricter regulations, the EU’s packaging oversight has been relatively light touch until now. However, the newly proposed Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is expected to change the landscape significantly.

The upcoming EU parliamentary elections in June 2024 added urgency to the process. PPWR must be agreed upon before then to avoid restarting the legislative process with a new set of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

PPWR aims to achieve packaging waste reduction through multiple measures. Banning certain products will contribute to waste reduction while mandating the minimisation of packaging weight and volume without compromising functionality will also play a role.

However, the reuse/refill regulations are expected to have the greatest impact. The success of these regulations depends on the targets set, the number of times each packaging piece can be reused, the weight comparison between reusable and single-use packaging and potential substitution to or away from plastic.

Overall, the combined measures of PPWR are projected to reduce EU packaging waste by 15% per person by 2040, compared to 2018 levels.

We remind, Nexam Chemicals has achieved a new milestone in its efforts to increase the recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) content in its products. The company specialises in developing solutions that improve the properties and performance of plastics. It invents, develops, manufactures and sells additives to various plastics companies across the globe.

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Sweden-based plastic producer Nexam Chemical has received the first patent for ‘Reactive Recycling’ technology, said Packaging-gateway.

The patent is applicable to businesses in Sweden while the process for corresponding patent protection in other countries is still in progress. Reactive Recycling is a molecular tool that enhances recycling and increases the use of recycled polypropylene. It is said to be faster, simpler, and more cost-effective when compared to several other methods.

The solution, if used after the mechanical recycling process, enables the upcycling of plastic and reduces the use of virgin plastic in the manufacture of new products. Nexam’s CTO Christer Svanberg said: “It is an important step towards a more circular economy and opens up completely new market areas for us.

“The patent proves our innovative ability to constantly develop new solutions so that the manufacturing industry can improve its sustainability.” Nexam is a Nasdaq First North-listed company that invents, produces, and sells additives to the plastics industry across the globe.

The company’s technology helps in replacing metals and other heavier or more expensive materials with plastics in several applications. In May this year, the company received its first production order worth SKr0.5m for the manufacture of thermoformed food packaging.

It has also been partnering with an Israel-based food packaging manufacturer since the beginning of last year to increase the amount of recycled PET in its products.

We remind, Nexam Chemicals has achieved a new milestone in its efforts to increase the recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) content in its products. The company specialises in developing solutions that improve the properties and performance of plastics. It invents, develops, manufactures and sells additives to various plastics companies across the globe.

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Amcor Rigid Packaging (ARP) has announced the launch of 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) packaging for Ron Rubin Winery’s new BLUE BIN wine range, said Packaging-gateway.

The range comes in a 750ml bottle size. rPET packaging has a wide range of environmental benefits, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional wine packaging.

The new bottles are both shatterproof and lightweight, which makes them useful for consumers with an on-the-go lifestyle. Ron Rubin introduced this new alternative for its BLUE BIN range after the completion of a two-year packaging assessment to develop and deliver premium wine for its eco-conscious customers.

The company said these new bottles feature Plasmax technology, which is a thin, glass-like barrier layer provided to ensure that the wine does not come in direct contact with the rPET itself. It also helps to protect the taste and quality of the wine.

ARP’s spirits and wine marketing manager Jonathan Jarman said: “Plasmax is a thin, glass-like oxygen barrier on the inside of the bottle. This protective barrier holds the wine, while the PET bottle holds the shape. “This is truly a transformational moment for the North American wine market, ushering in an era where the product’s sustainable packaging is valued and celebrated as deeply as the product itself."

BLUE BIN is available in four 2022 vintage varietals, including Chardonnay, Vin Rose, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc. The winery says it has been engaged in bottling sustainable and premium wine for over three decades, and is one of only 33 Certified B Corporation wineries in the world.

We remind, Amcor launches further developments of its high performing paper packaging range and invests in increased paper packaging manufacturing capacity in Europe. Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, has announced the expansion of its AmFiber™ Performance Paper packaging range in Europe to include heat seal sachets for dry culinary and beverage applications, such as instant coffee, drink powders, spices, seasonings, and dried soups.

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