EverMinds™ in practice: a further milestone on Borealis' path to promoting recycling
Production sites in Kallo and Beringen receive ISCC Plus certification
Cooperation with upstream and downstream partners along the value chain, such as Neste and Henkel
Borealis has started production of polypropylene (PP) based on renewable raw materials in Kallo and Beringen in Belgium. This is the first time that Borealis has replaced fossil fuel based raw materials in commercial PP production on an industrial scale with an alternative. The Belgian plants were recently awarded the ISCC Plus certificate by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) organisation for their renewable PP. Borealis is thus taking its commitment to recycling to the next level and promoting its goals within the framework of EverMinds™. This groundbreaking step towards more sustainable production takes place in close cooperation with upstream and downstream partners along the value chain, such as Neste and Henkel. The undertaking is also in line with Borealis' goal of ensuring that by 2025 100% of its consumer goods are recyclable or reusable or produced from raw materials from renewable sources.
Cooperation along the value chain in the sense of a stronger focus on recycling
Borealis and its upstream partner Neste are bringing the industry closer to a plastics recycling economy thanks to the production of renewable PP, which will start in December 2019.
After producing bio-propane using its proprietary NEXBTL™ technology, Neste sells its bio-propane to Borealis' propane dehydrogenation plant in Kallo, where it is processed into renewable propylene, and subsequently into renewable PP at the plants in Kallo and Beringen.
Recently completed audits by an independent external organisation resulted in ISCC Plus certification of the renewable PP produced in both Kallo and Beringen. This certification covers and analyses the entire value chain. It confirms that all renewable raw materials used have been produced in a renewable and sustainable way and are also certified as such, taking into account, among other things, traceability back to the place of origin.
Downstream partners include a number of industries, such as consumer packaging, automotive, pharmaceuticals and household appliances, which can market their end products with a lower carbon footprint thanks to the renewable propylene and polypropylene produced at Borealis' plants in Belgium. In view of the growing demand, Borealis is working with partners along the entire value chain to further improve the availability of raw materials.
Henkel, a global market leader in the adhesives industry, known for its strong brands in the detergents and cleaners and cosmetics sectors, has also already adopted the values of recycling. By making the use of sustainable materials a central pillar of its packaging strategy, Henkel is committed to working with its partners along the value chain to promote sustainable packaging solutions. The use of renewable PP in the packaging of an important Henkel brand, which will be implemented in the course of the year, represents a further step in the company's efforts to reduce the use of virgin plastics based on fossil fuels by 50 percent by 2025.
"The production of renewable PP based on second-generation renewable raw materials is another concrete step towards a lower-carbon future," said Lucrèce Foufopoulos, Borealis Board Member for Polyolefins, Innovation and Circular Economy Solutions. "Close cooperation with partners such as Neste and Henkel, who share our EverMinds™ mindset, is the key to building a better future together. Thinking circular economy means taking advantage of growth opportunities that accelerate the transition to a circular economy."
"It's great to see, for the first time in history, a propane dehydration plant that uses renewable propane as a substitute for fossil fuels and enables Borealis to produce mass balance certified renewable polypropylene for sustainability-oriented brands like Henkel. This is an exceptional example of cooperation along the value chain that has a positive impact on sustainability in the polymer industry.
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