Supply chain partners including INEOS, PepsiCo and Amcor collaborate on 50% recycled plastic film packaging

INEOS Olefins & Polymers Europe, PepsiCo and Amcor have teamed up to launch new snack packaging for Sunbites crisps containing 50% recycled plastic, said the company.

The new packaging was launched in the UK and Ireland for PepsiCo’s snack brand Sunbites in late 2023. The packaging is made by recycling plastic waste into food grade packaging material using an advanced recycling process, which the companies describe as a complementary approach to mechanical recycling, which enables the recycled materials to satisfy the demanding EU regulatory requirements for applications such as food contact packaging, contact sensitive and medical devices.

The collaboration included multiple partners from across the supply chain. GreenDot ensured the procurement and supply of post-consumer plastic packaging waste, which was converted into TACOIL (pyrolysis oil) using Plastic Energy’s technology, and INEOS used this pyrolysis oil as an alternative to traditional fossil feedstock to produce recycled propylene, before turning it into virgin-quality recycled polypropylene resin at its plant in Lavera, France.

IRPLAST reportedly uses the new resin to turn existing plastic packaging designs into new packaging films containing 50% of post-consumer recycled materials and meeting the food contact performance requirements. Amcor transformed these films into printed packaging that delivers the same technical performance for PepsiCo.

Using these new polypropylene films, PepsiCo launched the Sunbites packaging in the UK. The partnership is part of PepsiCo Positive (pep+), the company’s end-to-end transformation, which aims to eliminate virgin fossil-based plastic in crisp and chip bags in Europe by 2030.

The recycled polymer content is certified under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) scheme, an independent third party who certify it has been tracked through the production process using mass balance principles and the claim being made is accurate.

The upcoming EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is expected to set out ambitious targets for recycling packaging waste for 2025 and 2030 across a range of materials and recycled content targets for plastics. INEOS says the achievement demonstrates that advanced recycling technologies can play a critical role in meeting the growing demand for the safe, circular use of recycled materials in food contact products, helping the EU to achieve its 10% recycled content objective for contact sensitive plastic packaging by 2030.

In the last year, developments in recycled content included Solvay and Hegen’s partnership to bring ‘the first baby bottle made with recycled content’ to the market, made from non-fossil feedstock content and apparently third-party mass balance certified and free of artificial pigments, phthalates and bisphenols, such as BPA.

It also saw air up launch a new line of reusable bottles made from Eastman?Tritan Renew, reportedly consisting of 50%?ISCC-certified recycled content sourced from a molecular recycling technology, thought to utilize up to 88% less plastic than single-use bottles.

We remind, in March, Ineos Styrolution, a subsidiary of the prominent European petrochemical producer Ineos, has made a notable decision to increase the prices of its Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) products in the United States. The impetus behind this price adjustment stems from the escalating costs associated with the production and delivery of materials, a circumstance communicated to customers through an official letter from the manufacturer.

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Synthomer PLC said is loss widened in 2023 as revenue dropped, but said it has been taking "decisive actions" for longer term growth, said the company.

Shares in Synthomer jumped 33% to 190.36 pence each in London on Tuesday morning. The Essex, England-based chemicals manufacturer said revenue fell 15% to GBP1.97 billion in 2023 from GBP2.33 billion the year before, due to a reduction in volume and pass through of lower raw material input prices, the firm explained.

Pretax loss widened significantly to GBP106.8 million from GBP34.2 million as a result. Further, the firm swung to an underlying pretax loss of GBP27.2 million from a GBP123.7 million underlying pretax profit in 2022.

Looking ahead, Synthomer said trading since the start of 2024 has been "cautiously encouraging", due to short-term restocking by customers. "We remain confident that Synthomer's medium-term earnings power is more than double recent levels, through a combination of our near-term actions, end market volume recovery and strategic delivery," it added.

Commenting on the firm's results, Chief Executive Officer Michael Willome said: "Despite a challenging year, we have taken decisive actions to position the business well for the future. We remain focused on enhancing our strong positions in key end-markets, optimising our portfolio and cost position, and demonstrating the cash generative nature of our business. In the medium term, we remain confident that Synthomer's earnings power is more than double recent levels, through a combination of our near-term self-help actions, end market recovery and delivery of our speciality solutions strategy."

We remind, Synthomer agreed to sell its Laminates, Films and Coated Fabrics businesses to Surteco North America for a total enterprise value of about USD255m. The divestment is in line with Synthomer’s plans to increase the weighting of specialty chemicals versus base chemicals in its portfolio and create a more balanced geographic exposure, it said. The Laminates, Films and Coated Fabrics businesses, with plants in North America and Thailand, were part of Synthomer’s acquisition of OMNOVA Solutions in 2020.

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In a trajectory set to reshape the global polyethylene terephthalate (PET) landscape, China emerges as the frontrunner, poised to dominate PET capacity additions by contributing an impressive 40% to the total growth expected from new plant constructions and expansion projects by the year 2028, said Chemanalyst.

A closer inspection of the Chinese polyethylene terephthalate PET market reveals two pivotal projects set to significantly contribute to the anticipated surge in capacity. The first, an announced project, is the Zhejiang Petrochemical Daishan Polyethylene Terephthalate Plant 2, boasting a substantial capacity of 2 million tpy. Operated by Zhejiang Petrochemical, which holds a 100% stake, this project is strategically located in Zhejiang, China, with production slated to commence in 2026.

In tandem, the Hainan Yisheng Petrochemical Yangpu Polyethylene Terephthalate Plant is poised to add an extra 0.50 million tpy in capacity. Operated by Hainan Yisheng Petrochemical Co Ltd, with complete equity ownership, this plant is expected to commence operations in 2025 in Hainan, China.

The Zhejiang Petrochemical Daishan Polyethylene Terephthalate Plant 2 stands out as a flagship project in China's pursuit of PET dominance. With a substantial capacity of 2 million tpy, this announced project is strategically positioned in Zhejiang, a key industrial hub. The choice of Zhejiang, known for its economic vibrancy and robust infrastructure, underscores the strategic planning behind China's Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) capacity expansion. Zhejiang Petrochemical Co. Ltd's complete ownership and operation of the plant further emphasize the country's commitment to controlling its PET supply chain.

The Hainan Yisheng Petrochemical Yangpu Polyethylene Terephthalate Plant represents another significant contributor to China's PET capacity growth. With a capacity addition of 0.50 million tpy, this project is strategically located in Hainan, an area poised for economic development. The plant's expected commencement of production in the year 2025 aligns with China's proactive approach to meeting the anticipated rise in PET demand.

As China solidifies its position as the leading contributor to global Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) capacity growth, the implications reverberate across the international PET market. Several factors come into play, shaping the dynamics of the industry and influencing stakeholders across the world.

China's dominance in PET capacity additions is likely to reshape the global PET supply chain. With a significant portion of the world's PET production concentrated in China, there may be a shift in supply dynamics, impacting logistics, transportation, and distribution channels. Market players will need to adapt to these changes in order to optimize their supply chain strategies.

We remind, DCM Shriram plans to invest Rs 1,000 crore in the next few years to build a greenfield plant that will produce epoxy resin. The Board of the company has given its chemical division permission to invest in epoxy and other value-added products as a means of expanding into advanced materials. Furthermore, their epichlorohydrin (ECH) factory in Jhagadia, Gujarat, is almost finished and should be active in the first quarter of the 2024–2025 fiscal year.

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Nouryon has appointed Sean Lannon as the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective March 11, 2024, said the company.

He will have executive oversight of the Company’s Finance function and will play a critical role in shaping Nouryon’s financial strategy in support of its commitment to delivering innovative and sustainable solutions to customers.

“Sean’s extensive experience in finance and leadership as well as his background working for both public and private companies will be invaluable to Nouryon as we continue to grow and evolve,” said Charlie Shaver, Nouryon’s Chairman and CEO. “I had the pleasure of working with Sean in the past and I am pleased to welcome him to our leadership team and look forward to his contributions.”

Lannon has an established track record of driving financial and operational excellence. He joins Nouryon from Copeland, a leader in HVAC and refrigeration, where he served as CFO. Prior to Copeland, he held several senior positions in Finance at Axalta Coating Systems, including five years as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to his tenure at Axalta, he served in various senior finance roles at Styron LLC (Trinseo), Endo Pharmaceuticals, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Lannon is a Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania and holds a B.S. in Accounting from Philadelphia University, where he graduated summa cum laude.

We remind, Nouryon is now certified to the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification standard ISCC PLUS for the production of green monochloroacetic acid (MCA) at its site in Delfzijl, the Netherlands. The Company is a leading global supplier of MCA and the first and only producer of green MCA that is derived from sustainably sourced raw materials1.

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The Asian Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) market faced a complex landscape at the start of March 2024 as elevated costs and subdued demand in the downstream construction industry escalated the concern amongst the PVC market participants, said Chemanalyst.

The high production costs were driven by factors such as Brent crude futures exceeding USD 80 per barrel and a significant surge in the upstream Ethylene prices over the past two months.

Despite these bullish signs on the cost front, concerns regarding the supply side, particularly originating from China, threaten to hinder a sustained upward trend in the line of low PVC regional inquiries.

In China, the lingering slump in China's property sector has led to sluggishness in the PVC market and also resulted in abundant export availability. In terms of production, China does not anticipate any major issues, with minimal maintenance turnarounds reported in March 2024. In March 2024, Yichang Hubei Province with a total PVC production capacity of 10000 TPM, and Wanhua Chemical Corporation with a total PVC production capacity of 33333 TPM scheduled maintenance shutdowns for 11 and 8 days respectively.

However, downstream units are expected to resume operations after the Spring Festival, potentially boosting domestic demand. Following a Taiwanese major's price hikes for March, Chinese sellers also increased their offers. Despite these hikes, Chinese PVC prices being offered to the Indian market have not witnessed significant reductions. Sellers maintained confidence in the robust cost-side support for PVC prices.

The recent analysis reflects that import PVC markets in India, China, and Southeast Asia are currently trading at four to six-month highs. A Chinese trader anticipates a volatile trend in the Chinese market in the near term, while a producer notes that domestic supplies remain ample, and downstream purchases are still limited.

Southeast Asian markets display a similar pattern, with support from rising upstream crude oil and feedstock prices for March by the major producers of Taiwan. However, resistance from buyers is evident. An Indonesian compounder highlights the increased demand post-holidays but notes buyer resistance to the steep hike. Southeast Asian players, cautious of weak demand for end products, largely adopt a wait-and-see approach, keeping prices stable despite the Taiwanese major's upward adjustments.

As per ChemAnalyst, The PVC market in Asia seems to be at a crossroads in the coming weeks, navigating between rising costs and supply-side challenges. While the cost dynamics favor an upward trajectory, resistance from buyers and concerns over ample supplies pose challenges to sustained market growth. Market players are closely monitoring these factors to observe the future direction of the PVC market landscape in the APAC region.

We remind, Mexico's Orbia has decided to put a pause on the expansion plans for its polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production capacity due to a challenging market situation that adversely impacted its profits in 2023. The company's polymer division, which includes PVC, faced a substantial setback in the fourth quarter of the previous year, reporting a 54% year-on-year decline in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), amounting to USD47 million. Additionally, sales within this division experienced a 21% year-on-year decrease, reaching USD577 million.

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