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UBQ Materials partners with Resirene to create the first worldwide Polystyrene with UBQ

UBQ Materials partners with Resirene to create the first worldwide Polystyrene with UBQ

 UBQ Materials, a cleantech developer of advanced materials made from waste, today announced a partnership with Resirene, the largest Polystyrene resin producer in Mexico, to produce the first worldwide circular grade high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) compound with UBQ inside, which will make it the most sustainable in the world.

Resirene, a large polymers producer, serves numerous market segments, including polymer applications for food & beverage, healthcare, and medical products, electronics, construction, and advertising, among others. The company has made significant R&D and production investments as it foresees increased demand for sustainable products. UBQ will be used in higher-value items ranging from multi-use razor handles to signage.

“The plastic-free movement, including government regulations banning products such as single-use straws and plastic bags, has propelled the polystyrene market to adapt and evolve. There is now a continuum of sustainability within polystyrenes, ranging from starch-containing products to those made with recycled polystyrene,” said Sergio Paredes Castañeda, CEO of Resirene.

“We have reached a new level in terms of reducing our product’s environmental impact with UBQ inside, thereby allowing our customers to jointly achieve sustainable loans, enabling the polystyrene industry to strive as a whole towards circular economies,” the executive mentioned.

UBQ Materials converts unsorted household and municipal landfill-destined waste into UBQ, a climate-positive, cost-competitive replacement for plastic. UBQ  is a bio-based drop-in material that can be incorporated into standard manufacturing processes without additional machinery or materials. The production of UBQ decreases the landfilling of waste, preventing methane emissions and curtailing the leakage of toxic substances into the soil.

“The ‘lifecycle’ of products is a misnomer – until now, products were manufactured, used, and discarded – not a cycle at all, but rather a straight line. Our goal is to close the loop on the production-to-waste process and create a circular economy that takes the seemingly endless accumulation of waste and converts it into a resource,” said Albert Douer, Chairman and co-CEO of UBQ Materials. “This partnership with Resirene allows us to incorporate our climate-positive thermoplastic into various products, offsetting emissions and offering a viable end-of-life solution for waste.”

After extensive R&D trials and testing to develop the new material with UBQ, Resirene has already started to sample the new material with clients. Initial results suggest that customers find the added environmental value meaningful, even when one accounts for the variable of product costs.

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SONGWON announces departure of its Leader Group Commercial

SONGWON announces departure of its Leader Group Commercial

Songwon Industrial Co., Ltd. today announced that Elena Scaltritti, Leader Group Commercial, will be leaving the organization to pursue another professional opportunity outside the SONGWON Group.

An Executive Committee member since April 2019, Ms. Scaltritti has held various key positions within the company since joining SONGWON in 2011, contributing to the overall success of SONGWON. She will continue to serve in her most recent positions as Leader Group Commercial and Chief Sustainability Officer at SONGWON; her successor will be announced at a later date.

The Board of Directors and the Executive Committee regret her decision to leave SONGWON and wish her the very best in all her future endeavors.

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Covestro receives ISCC Plus certification for its Leverkusen and Dormagen sites

Covestro receives ISCC Plus certification for its Leverkusen and Dormagen sites

Covestro has now received the internationally recognized ISCC Plus mass balance certification for its Leverkusen and Dormagen sites. Together with the Krefeld-Uerdingen site, which was already certified a year ago, the company can now supply its customers with large product volumes from renewable attributed raw materials from all three Lower Rhine sites in Germany.

These are selected polycarbonates, components for polyurethane (PU) rigid and flexible foams, PU coating and adhesive raw materials, thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs), and specialty films. They are characterized by equally good quality and properties as their fossil-based counterparts.

“I am very pleased that we can now offer our customers even more certified mass-balanced products and thus help them even better to achieve their sustainability goals and drive the transition to a circular economy,” says Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer of Covestro. “In doing so, we are also supporting the use of alternative raw materials and reducing CO2 emissions along the value chains.”

Dr. Klaus Schäfer, Chief Technology Officer at Covestro, adds, “The raw materials we use for these products meet the high sustainability requirements of the ISCC Plus standard all the way back through the supply chain. That’s why we want to make greater use of alternative raw materials such as these renewably attributed precursors in our production. In addition to the three German sites, also our plants in Antwerp and Shanghai are already ISCC Plus certified, with more sites to follow.”

In the mass balance approach, bio-based or recycled raw materials – in this case, reprocessed residual materials – are fed in at an early stage of raw material extraction and mathematically attributed to the finished products. This
saves fossil raw materials and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, while the quality of the mass-balanced products remains the same compared to purely fossil-based ones. Manufacturers can continue to use their proven formulations, equipment, and processes.

ISCC (“International Sustainability and Carbon Certification”) is an internationally recognized system for sustainability certification of biomass and bioenergy, among others. The standard covers all stages of the value chain and is widely used worldwide. ISCC Plus includes further certification options for technical chemical applications, among others, including plastics from biomass.

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BB Engineering GmbH delivers melt filter for PET recycling system to Indorama Polyester Industries

BB Engineering GmbH delivers melt filter for PET recycling system to Indorama Polyester Industries

2021 saw BB Engineering GmbH (Germany) deliver a melt filter for recycling PET flakes to polyester manufacturer Indorama Polyester Industries (Thailand). Indorama will be using the type NSF38 filter in its recently assembled recycling system in order to produce rPET granulate from flake PET bottle waste.

The NSF38 filter enables continual filtering – in other words, the system switches from one filter to the other during the process without the need for conversion shut-downs. The filter allows the processing of consumer waste – for example, in the form of shredded PET bottles – into new, high-quality rPET granulate. This granulate is subsequently processed into manmade fibers in spinning systems.

The NSF38 is a switchable filter with a filter surface area of approx. 16 m2 on each side, with throughputs of between 1,000 and 1,900 kg/h. The filter inserts each contain 19 pleated filter candles (60 x 1,000mm Ø). The filter medium comprises a sintered metal fiber nonwoven with a filtration fineness of 25 μm. This ensures that the melt remains free of contaminants and gel particles, which in turn enables the production of high-quality end products.

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Arburg presents precise high-speed product and digitalisation solution

Arburg presents precise high-speed product and digitalization solution

By postponing the Industry Fair until 5-8 April 2022, the fair in Celje, Slovenia, says it expects a significant increase in interest from trade visitors from all over south-eastern Europe after a break of almost two years due to the pandemic. The Industry Fair has established itself as the largest and most important trade fair in the fields of mechanical engineering and mould construction, welding and cutting, materials and advanced technologies, robotics, and automation. Arburg will be represented with the hybrid high-performance Hidrive series in Hall K (Stand 31). An Allrounder 520 H produces 32 pipette tips in a cycle time of around six seconds.

Steffen Eppler, Divisional Manager Sales Europe, appreciates the importance of Celje as a gateway to south-eastern Europe: “The entire region benefits from pioneering European companies in the field of injection moulding, which continue to transfer technology to the respective countries. And for these markets, we offer a comprehensive product range.” More than 700 exhibitors from up to 30 countries will be attending, as well as visitors from around 15 countries.

“With our Allrounders and the short cycle times that can be achieved with them, we have our eye on the needs of producers in the medical technology field in particular, but also of component manufacturers, for example, in the automotive and household appliance sectors. Accordingly, we are also particularly well-positioned in applications where extremely precise injection moulding, excellent technical support, and aftersales expertise are required.”

High-speed product: 19,200 moulded parts per hour

At the Industry Fair 2022, a hybrid Allrounder 520 H with a clamping force of 1,500 kN will demonstrate the efficient, high-quality production of pipette tips from PP. The hybrid high-performance machines of the Hidrive series are already optimized for rapid series production as standard and are thus also excellently suited for bulk items such as those used in the medical technology sector. The Allrounders combine electric speed and precision on the clamping side with hydraulic power and dynamics during the injection.

The exhibit is equipped with a 32-cavity mould from Zahoransky, a long-standing Arburg customer, and is prepared for use in clean rooms. The cycle time is around six seconds, which corresponds to a throughput of approximately 19,200 moulded parts per hour.

The trade fair exhibit is thus perfectly geared to the needs of medical technology – speed, precision, and high performance. “Especially in the current times, personal care, and the medical and pharmaceutical industries are of particular interest, and not only to us,” Eppler says, summarising the significance of the high-performance application on display.

Digitalization: arburgXworld customer portal demonstration

At the Arburg stand, visitors to the Industry Fair will see for themselves how digitalization can succeed in modern injection moulding companies. A demo version of the “arburgXworld” customer portal will be on hand for live testing. Among other things, up-to-date online information on the machine fleet can be accessed from anywhere, whether at the workplace or on the move.

Faults can be remedied around the clock using various apps. And spare parts can also be conveniently ordered directly online 24/7. In addition, calculation tools and knowledge bases are available in various packages for individual compilation. This makes work as easy as possible in many areas of the company.

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Sirte from Uruguay installs PET Technologies blow molding machine

Sirte from Uruguay installs PET Technologies blow molding machine

The Sirte plant dedicated to the production and bottling of water and soft drinks is located in the Pajas Blancas resort, in the southwest of the department of Montevideo. There, 150 m deep, the natural mineral water is born. Then the stainless steel pipe brings the water to the plant, where it is filled into glass and PET containers.

The origins. The roots of the company go back to the beginning of the 20th century when the water spring was discovered in Pajas Blancas. It was baptized with the name “Sirte” which means “water under the sand”. In 1915 Sirte Mineral Water was founded. The company’s importance outside the resort was growing. The consumption of bottled water was also increasing. Home water distribution is one of the pillars that led to the expansion of the Sirte Company.

The technology. Bottled water is often perceived as safer; seems to be of better quality. This is where machinery comes into play, be it conveying, blowing, filling, or palletizing systems. Sirte’s priority is to have high technology.
Thus, the fruitful cooperation between PET Technologies and Sirte was born. The well-known bottling company from Uruguay contacted the European manufacturer of PET stretch blow molding machines to implement the project to manufacture its own PET bottles.

It was the APF-3002 model that perfectly met the needs of the Sirte Company. It has an output of 3000 bph and allows to produce up to 2.32 L. The equipment is integrated into the water and carbonated soft drink filling line.

What are the benefits of the machine?

  • Blow mold quick change allows producing several presentations in the same equipment without downtime;
  • The oriented bottle outfeed allows the equipment to be integrated into the filling line of any brand;
  • Simple logic, PLC, and manuals in Spanish make operation and maintenance easy;
  • Intense preform heating and its simultaneous cooling allow production bottles with sophisticated designs.

The presentations. Sirte sells water in glass and PET bottles from 600 ml to 7 L and in jars. The APF-3002 blowing machine helps to make the formats of 0.6 L, 1.65 L, 2.32 L. They are sold in bags of 6 units each. All the bottles have the same design that makes the product recognizable in the market. The containers are ergonomic and reflect the product inside. Water droplets decorate the narrowing line of the bottle. The cavities for the finger make it comfortable to handle, especially the familiar formats.

“When You Drink Water Remember the Source “, says a Chinese proverb. Enjoying the soft taste of Sirte water, let’s remember its origin – a resort with more than 100 years of history. Taking the bottle in your hands, you will remember the technology – PET blowing machine made by PET Technologies.

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All4Labels launches inspirational global showcase for wine & spirits

All4Labels launches inspirational global showcase for wine & spirits

All4Labels Global Packaging Group has announced the launch of its new global business strategy to sustainably develop the wine & spirits sector starting with a dedicated marketing campaign, which is designed to shape consumers’ experience through unique, precious, and sustainable labels and packaging. This will take form in an inspiration project of a global itinerant showcase — called ‘Motherland’ — which will display the unique essence of each product and its local heritage through eye-catching design.

In the coming months, All4Labels will be producing eight special label concepts on bottles of wine & spirits from Argentina, France, Italy, South Africa, Mexico, Russia, China, and Germany. These countries represent the locations of the group’s blue-chip sites that are specialized in the wine & spirits segment, and each will feature a product that is typical of the local market.

Created together with its newly launched packaging design division, All4Graphics, each label will seek to embody the natural beauty and traditions of the region of origin, while implicitly demonstrating All4Labels’ technical and innovational capabilities. The labeled bottles will be unveiled at dedicated local events starting with a kick-off in Cape Town, South Africa, on February 9, 2022.

The showcase is an opportunity to address the importance of building an open environment with meaningful relationships throughout the entire value chain, and All4Labels is working closely with a group of leading partner companies to share this ethos. Motherland will also highlight the value of All4Labels Smart + Secure GmbH that would embed smart features such as Brand Security with QR fingerprint, Gamification, and Traceability in order to support the customer experience through analytics.

“We are embarking on this campaign to highlight our presence as a main player in the wine & spirits market and to show our high premium solutions,” said CEO of All4Labels Adrian Tippenhauer.“Motherland will demonstrate in very real terms how All4Labels is pioneering innovation with bold creativity, high quality and sustainable packaging solutions for local and global wine & spirits brands.”

The goal for All4Labels is to enlarge its presence in this developing market. Guido Iannone, All4Labels CSO said, “Wine & spirits have been a core focus for the All4Labels sales strategy for a long time, and we have developed an extremely high level of technical expertise in label production with exceptional finishes and embellishments for premium brands. We are now using this expertise to drive new growth opportunities for us, for our partners, and our customers.”

All4Labels is committed to producing labels and packaging in the most efficient and responsible way. Massimiliano Martino All4Labels CTO said, “Motherland was produced using innovative materials and technologies to reduce the carbon footprint by 80% compared to the conventional way of producing premium labels. We have developed and deployed an embellishment process that avoids waste while ensuring an exclusive tactile and visual effect.”

“Conscious of the new digital era where metaverse is evolving into a new reality we will explore how a virtual world can impact on people’s behaviors. With some real applications All4Labels can link bottles to an NFT marketplace, to show how advanced avatars could revolutionize virtual engagement,” added Paola Iannone, VPMarketing and Communication at All4Labels.

The Motherland campaign will continue over the coming months demonstrating the global footprint and local knowledge of All4Labels along the way. Supplier partners in the project include Avery Dennison, Fedrigoni Self-Adhesive, Leonhard Kurz, H+M, Estal, Actega, Nilpeter, Omet, HP Indigo, and Luxoro.

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An Phat Holdings officially organized Ground Breaking Ceremony for the largest green materials factory in Southeast Asia

An Phat Holdings officially organized Ground Breaking Ceremony for the largest green materials factory in Southeast Asia

An Phat Holdings officially organized Ground Breaking Ceremony for PBAT Compostable Resin Plant. The Ceremony was attended by Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue –  Chairman of National, Head of the delegation; Mr. Bui Van Cuong – Secretary-General of National Assembly, Chairman of National Assembly’s Office; Mr. Vu Hong Thanh – Chairman of National Assembly Committee on Economy;  Mr. Nguyen Phu Cuong – Chairman of National Assembly Committee on Finance and Budget; Mr. Le Quang Huy – Chairman of National Assembly Committee on Science, Technology, and Environment;

Mr. Vu Hai Ha – Chairman of National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs; Mr. Nguyen Chi Dung – Minister of Ministry of Planning and Investment;  Mr. Tran Hong Ha – Minister of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; Mr. Nguyen Hong Dien – Minister of Ministry of Industry and Trade; Mr. Huynh Thanh Dat – Minister of Ministry of Science and Technology; Mr. Vo Thanh Hung – Deputy Minister of Ministry of Finance; Mr. Truong Hai Long – Deputy Minister of Ministry of Home Affairs; With assistants and secretaries of the Chairman of the National Assembly; the leaders of the Offices of the National Assembly.

On the local side, there was the attendance of Mr. Tran Luu Quang – Secretary of the City Party Committee -Head of the Hai Phong City National Assembly Delegation; Mr. Pham Xuan Thang – Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People’s Council of Hai Duong province; Mr. Ngo Hanh Phuc – Vice Chairman of Yen Bai Provincial People’s Committee; and Vice Chairman of People’s Council, City People’s Committee and relevant departments, branches in Hai Phong city with the participation of more than 100 partners, customers of An Phat Holdings as well as central and local press agencies.

PBAT Compostable Resin Plant is the first green material factory in Southeast Asia, at the list of high-tech investment priority projects, located in Nam Dinh Vu Industrial Park (Hai Phong) with a capacity of 30,000 tons per annum, will be completed after 24 months. The total investment is 120 million USD, the factory will respond 100% to An Phat Holdings material needs, beyond the goal of international export when operating.

With the modern investment in technology and machinery, PBAT’s operating efficiency is highly optimized with an average operating time of 8,400 hours, equivalent to 350 days/year. The factory also achieves high automation, which is expected to create jobs for about 200 high-quality workers.

At the ceremony, Mr. Pham Anh Duong – Chairman of An Phat Holdings said, the project is the best and most reasonable solution to An Phat Holdings’ material source: being independent in terms of raw materials supply, reducing the price to get closer to consumers and moving towards to replacing traditional plastic products.

“A Phat Holdings will represent Vietnam in putting its name on the global map of green materials and become a pioneer in implementing Vietnam’s commitment to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050”, Mr. Duong said.

Currently, An Phat Holdings has received the transfer design of factory process and technology from Technip Zimmer – the world’s leading supplier of technology design and solutions for large-scale industrial plants and complicated. Therefore, PBAT Compostable Resin Plant has outstanding quality, self–contained standards, and the most modern production line.

Through this project, An Phat Holdings Group will complete the green circular ecosystem, become the first Vietnamese enterprise to produce bio-degradable plastic materials/products, officially participate in the world green material network. The price of green products will decrease by 20%~30% when the PBAT factory operates.

At the ceremony, Mr. Le Anh Quan – Permanent Vice Chairman of Hai Phong city People’s Committee shared the success in socio-economic development in Hai Phong city. At the same time, Mr. Quan also highly appreciated the role of the PBAT plant in the process of contributing to the economic development of the city, especially to promoting the production of zero emissions, no greenhouse effect.

Also at the ceremony, Chairman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue with Ministers of Ministries and leaders of Hai Phong city, Hai Duong province and Yen Bai province and An Phat Holdings’ BODs pressed the ground-breaking button, officially open the construction phase of the factory. This moment is also the foundation for An Phat Holdings to expand more projects to global green products and materials.

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Synthos launches new BIO-based acrylic dispersion for transparent and pigmented wood coatings

Synthos launches new BIO-based acrylic dispersion for transparent and pigmented wood coatings

The Sustainable Development Strategy that Synthos is pursuing until 2030 includes the production of 100% sustainable products. The company aims to achieve this goal by adding innovative solutions with a smaller environmental footprint to its portfolio and by introducing bio-based raw materials into its production.

In line with this strategy, the company is launching its first bio-based SYNEXIL AW90CX acrylic dispersion, specifically developed for transparent and pigmented wood coatings.

SYNEXIL AW90CX is manufactured using a key raw material, approximately 45% of which is derived from renewable sources, i.e. no raw materials are used that are directly or indirectly derived from petroleum. The content of BIO raw materials in the newly developed dispersion is determined in accordance with the ASTM D6866-20 standard, which specifies the vegetable carbon content in the product.

The new dispersion is characterized by a rapid hardness increase and high adhesion to substrates as well as high anti-blocking, i.e. it has excellent properties of the coatings’ ability to resist adhesion to itself. With this product, Synthos adds another product to its portfolio with a very low film-forming temperature (making it particularly suitable for the production of solvent-free products) and a low formaldehyde content and low volatile organic compounds (VOC), thus reducing environmental impact.

„The world around us needs positive change,” said Barbara Chodacka, Business Unit Director,  Adhesives and Dispersions, Synthos Group. „That is why Synthos, in its philosophy, strives to improve the solutions it offers. Any action, no matter how small, aimed at adapting a particular product to the needs of our planet and its people is extremely important.

The 2030 Sustainable Development Strategy adopted by Synthos serves as a strong guideline that clearly defines the direction we want to take. Synthos’ new bio-based acrylic dispersion is another important step in the green direction we are actively pursuing.”  

Synthos intends to accelerate the introduction of more environmentally friendly products in its portfolio, including products for dispersions and wood adhesives. Furthermore, Synthos is committed to increasing the overall share of sustainable products across its product portfolio. These activities will be strengthened by the utilization of new production capacities as part of the construction of a new facility for the production of dispersions and adhesives.

By changing Synthos, we change the world.

https://www.synthosgroup.com/

PET Technologies contributes to Suntory Technological Development Center in Tordera

PET Technologies contributes to Suntory Technological Development Center in Tordera

“With customer satisfaction first, and safety a must, we maintain our thorough commitment to product quality in the customer experience, from the taste of our products to the ease of use of our product containers”, said Japan-based  Suntory Holdings Limited  CEO Takeshi Niinami. Austria-based PET Technologies contributed to container testing.

Natural & healthy. Suntory Holdings Limited with over 300 group companies in Japan, Europe, Asia, Oceania, North, and Latin America, has a mission is to create harmony with people and nature. It reflects in the whole product range: non-alcoholic beverages and spirits, wine and beer. Not to mention their customization depending on the region!

Have you ever tasted MayTea? This low-sugar ice tea has high demand in Spain, France, and Belgium. It is an alternative to traditional soft drinks that meet the “natural and healthy” trend. It is low in calories and does not contain sweeteners, colorants, preservatives. The leaves that decorate the PET bottle echo the product inside.
Green tea with acid notes of lemon. Green tea with a delicate mint aroma. Black tea with sunny peach flavor. These delicious tastes are a mixture of strict preparation technology, with origin at tea extraction place, and natural flavor obtained from fruits and herbs.

  Which one would you prefer to try first?

Unique & premium. Technology applied is an element of success.  Suntory Technological Development Center in Tordera (near Barcelona, Spain) contribution is difficult to overestimate. It is involved in the development of all new products for Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. It includes sensorial analysis, a pilot plant for new beverages, and technical validation of packaging. PET Technologies has become part of this unit! Not long ago Suntory Technological Development Center, in Tordera, where the company invested several million euros, has installed a universal UPF-5M blow molder with high pressure up to 40 bar.

What is its application?

  • To test new PET bottles design
  •  To test different types of rotary blow molds                                                                                    

What are the advantages of these unique UPF-5M blow molders?

  • The machine is adapted for  rotary blow molds  of all European brands;
  • Blow molding conditions are close to the real when a bottle is produced at high- speed rotary blow molder with high pressure up to 40 bar;
  • Opportunity to test packaging at the market before investing at, let´s say, a 20-cavity set of molds.

Prevention is better than cure.  This saying stands for Suntory Technological Development Center and for UPF-5M blow molder. They test before the final product launch to the market.UPF-5M blow molder, developed by PET Technologies, helps Suntory Holdings Limited to follow the vision provided by its CEO Takeshi Niinami: “With customer satisfaction first, and safety a must, we maintain our thorough commitment to product quality in the customer experience, from the taste of our products to the ease of use of our product containers”.

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