Propak West Africa 2021 article for November 2021 MPIM

Julie Fernandes

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November 20, 2021

Propak West Africa 2021 article for November 2021 MPIM

Propak West Africa returned last month after a years gap because of the pandemic. With 2,412 industry stakeholders attending the exhibition to visit the 52 exhibitors showcasing their equipment, the sentiment was of excitement and positivity that the opportunity was back for the industry.

Over the three days between 14th – 16th September 2021 the packaging, printing, plastics and processing industries reunited for the first time in two years and were able to discover the products they had been missing from their supply chain in that time. Exhibitors from the local market included Atlas Copco, Bestaf Trading Company, Bobst West Africa, CIS Buro, Exact Solutions, Greenville, Tenaui and Vista International to name just a few. And while some restrictions remained in place the organisers were pleased to see a good number of international companies who continue to support the event and travel to Lagos including Blue Air Systems, Erema Recycling, Galdi, HTG Industry, Miele, Neofyton and Windmoeller and Holscher. With it being the first time for many internationals returning to Nigeria the chance to meet with so many local buyers and clients was an opportunity not to be missed and 87% of those surveyed said they achieved their goals of exhibiting.

Onsite George Pearson, Regional Director for the organisers Afrocet Montgomery said, “While it’s certainly been a challenging run up to the exhibition this year, we’re very pleased and excited to be back onsite and be able to bring the community back together for the regions largest business platform for the industries we serve. It’s been great to be back in Lagos and speak with many of our exhibitors and visitors as it’s been quite some time since that’s been possible. And we’re already looking forward to next year and growing back up to the same size we were in 2019”.

Running alongside the busy exhibitor stands, Propak once again saw the return of a high level conference program that focused it’s attention on how the packaging, plastics and printing industries will rebound from the pandemic and how it can be done sustainably with speakers from many of the leading brands in the region including TetraPak West Africa, Guinness Nigeria, Grand Cereals, Neofyton and PwC Nigeria to name just a handful. The sessions were made up of panel discussions, keynote presentations and technical seminars and many have been uploaded to the website to be viewed back for those that could not attend.

While this years exhibition was smaller than in previous editions, with a very strong rebooking of 74% the organisers have said that hall one is already almost sold out for 2022. With this they hope for a swift return for next edition to the largest exhibition size seen 2019, with 5000 visitors and 200 exhibitors.

www.montgomerygroup.com

Silgan Dispensing Awarded EcoVadis’ Gold Sustainability Rating

Julie Fernandes

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November 14, 2021

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Silgan Dispensing Awarded EcoVadis’ Gold Sustainability Rating

Silgan Dispensing, a global leader in the design and manufacture of highly engineered pumps and sprayers for the beauty, fragrance, personal care, home, and healthcare markets, has received EcoVadis’ Gold sustainability rating for environmental and corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance. EcoVadis is the world’s largest independent provider of business sustainability ratings, assessing a network of more than 75,000 companies.

Silgan Dispensing’s rating score and Gold Certification places it in the 94th percentile of all companies worldwide rated by EcoVadis and the top 3 percent of those companies rated in the manufacturing of plastic products. EcoVadis assesses four core areas to determine an organization’s rating: environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement.

“Corporate responsibility and sustainability are at the heart of our culture and guide how we operate our plants, design our dispensing solutions and engage with our team members and within our communities. Receiving EcoVadis’ Gold distinction reflects that commitment and is just an initial step in our journey toward a better future,” said Kevin Clark, President, Silgan Dispensing. “More than a core value, sustainability is key to our long-term success, and with our dedicated team, I’m confident that we will continue to make a measurable positive impact for our customers, consumers and the communities where we live and work.”

“We are proud of our score and our global team’s hard work to embed sustainability into every facet of our business,” said Kym Wellons, Vice President, Human Resources, Legal and Sustainability, Silgan Dispensing. “We look forward to building on this achievement and reaching new heights with our sustainability efforts.”

https://silgandispensing.com/

SABIC CREATES THE FIRST CERTIFIED CIRCULAR POLYMERS FROM ADVANCED RECYCLING OF RECOVERED OCEAN-BOUND PLASTIC

Julie Fernandes

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November 14, 2021

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SABIC CREATES THE FIRST CERTIFIED CIRCULAR POLYMERS FROM ADVANCED RECYCLING OF RECOVERED OCEAN-BOUND PLASTIC

SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, and Malaysia-based plastic recycling company HHI, have announced a pioneering new collaboration to create the first certified circular polymers produced through the advanced recycling of recovered mixed and used ocean-bound plastic. The certified circular polyolefins from ocean-bound plastic, from SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE™ portfolio of circular solutions,will be used by SABIC’s customers to announce new products over the coming months.

As well as helping to protect our oceans and waterways, the ocean-bound plastic collection helps to create value for local communities by increasing demand for recycled plastic across the industry. The material is recovered from ocean-feeding waterways and inland areas within a 50 kilometer radius of the ocean by HHI partners predominantly in Malaysia.

The recovered material is then sent to HHI, where they convert the used plastic into pyrolysis oil through an advanced recycling. The pyrolysis oil is then used by SABIC in their production process as an alternative to traditional fossil materials to make new certified circular polymers. The material has been certified under the Zero Plastic Oceans accreditation, and HHI is the first organisation to have received certification confirming the materials it recycles qualify as ocean-bound.

HHI created its own model to outline the steps required to facilitate the transition to a circular economy. The model has five stages which are to collect ocean-bound plastic through its extensive network; convert them into high-quality, manufacturable materials; collaborate with partners to create new products; provide customers with the platform to champion their use of more sustainable materials; and catalyse a generation of conscientious consumers who will opt for sustainable materials.

Abdullah Al-Otaibi, General Manager, ETP & Market Solutions at SABIC, said: “We are acutely aware of the challenges we face globally to stop plastic from becoming waste. Developing an entirely circular recycling system is a huge but necessary step we need to take together and will require all players across the value chain to collaborate. That’s why we’re committed to developing long-term solutions and working with new partners like HHI to significantly upscale the production of more sustainable materials, including those produced using recycled ocean-bound materials, for the benefit of our customers, society and the environment.”

Kian Seah, CEO at HHI, explains: “At HHI, our circular economy model helps to guide us in all of our endeavours, from business planning and collaborations with partners such as SABIC, to eco-initiatives, as we strive to protect our ocean and communities. We believe that we have the ability to work towards a cleaner future that views plastic as a valuable resource to keep within the value chain.

“We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved so far with SABIC, but also realise that we are early into our journey towards enabling a circular economy , and it is by no means a straightforward one. Our common spirit and passion has helped us overcome significant challenges to make this innovative process a reality and to ensure the reliability of technologies, quality of the end material and viability of the circular consumption model. We share a commitment to reshape the way we produce and recycle plastics and address environmental and societal challenges in a lasting, meaningful way.”

https://www.sabic.com/

INEOS STYROLUTION CONFIRMS ITS INVESTMENT DECISION FOR EUROPE’S FIRST POLYSTYRENE ADVANCED RECYCLING PILOT PLANT

Julie Fernandes

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November 14, 2021

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INEOS STYROLUTION CONFIRMS ITS INVESTMENT DECISION FOR EUROPE’S FIRST POLYSTYRENE ADVANCED RECYCLING PILOT PLANT

Joint collaboration with Recycling Technologies, UK
Europe’s first advanced chemical polystyrene recycling facility is expected to be operational in the second half of 2022

INEOS Styrolution, the global leader in styrenics, has today confirmed its decision to invest into a pilot plant for advanced recycling of polystyrene. The site will be set up in collaboration with Recycling Technologies in Swindon, UK. It is expected to be operational in the second half of 2022.

The decision announced today is a significant step forward launching polystyrene recycling through depolymerisation technology. Depolymerisation is an advanced recycling technology that converts polystyrene waste feedstock back into its main building block, Styrene which can then be used to manufacture new polystyrene with identical properties to the virgin material. The unique properties of polystyrene allow this efficient monomer recycling process to be harnessed avoiding the need to downcycle polystyrene. An additional benefit of depolymerisation is a significant decrease of greenhouse gas emissions when compared with the production of virgin polystyrene from naphtha.

The Swindon pilot plant will be based on Recycling Technologies’ fluidised bed reactor technology, which offers excellent scalability making it the technology of choice for future even larger recycling plants.

Dr. Alexander Glück, President EMEA at INEOS Styrolution comments, “I am excited to see this project move ahead. With Recycling Technologies, we have found a partner, who is not only

offering a very attractive technology, but who is also sharing our own vision to avoid polystyrene ending up in landfills or being incinerated. We are on the right path to make polystyrene a circular material.”

Adrian Griffiths, CEO & Founder of Recycling Technologies Ltd., adds, “We welcome INEOS Styrolution’s decision and are pleased to be a critical element of the team to build Europe’s first advanced chemical polystyrene recycling facility. Harnessing our fluidised bed engineering technology and expertise to recycling polystyrene is a critical step to making polystyrene circular.”

About INEOS Styrolution
INEOS Styrolution is the leading global styrenics supplier, with a focus on styrene monomer, polystyrene, ABS Standard and styrenic specialties. With world-class production facilities and more than 90 years of experience, INEOS Styrolution helps its customers succeed by offering solutions, designed to give them a competitive edge in their markets. At the same time, these innovative and sustainable best-in-class solutions help make the circular economy for styrenics a reality. The company provides styrenic applications for many everyday products across a broad range of industries, including automotive, electronics, household, construction, healthcare, packaging and toys/sports/leisure. In 2020, sales were at 4 billion euros. INEOS Styrolution employs approximately 3,600 people and operates 20 production sites in ten countries.

More information: www.ineos-styrolution.com

ONROBOT LAUNCHES FIRST REMOTE MONITORING AND DIAGNOSTICS SOFTWARE FOR COLLABORATIVE APPLICATIONS

Julie Fernandes

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November 14, 2021

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ONROBOT LAUNCHES FIRST REMOTE MONITORING AND DIAGNOSTICS SOFTWARE FOR COLLABORATIVE APPLICATIONS

OnRobot, the One Stop Shop for collaborative robot applications, makes its software debut with the launch of WebLytics, a unique production monitoring, device diagnostics, and data analytics solution designed to enhance productivity and minimize downtime.

Capable of monitoring the performance of multiple collaborative applications simultaneously and in real-time, WebLytics gathers equipment data from both robots and tools and transforms it into easy-to-understand, visualized device and application-level intelligence.

“The launch of WebLytics is an important landmark for OnRobot, our customers, and our global integrator network,” says Enrico Krog Iversen, CEO of OnRobot. “WebLytics is the first software solution to provide real-time, application-focused data for collaborative applications across major robot brands. As our first software product, WebLytics marks the beginning of OnRobot’s journey into robot software and completes our vision of providing a One Stop Shop for collaborative applications on both the hardware and software side.”

For end-users and integrators, WebLytics not only eliminates manual data collection — it provides actionable insights into how well a collaborative application is performing, offering live device diagnostics, alerts and preventive maintenance measures to keep costly robot cell downtime to a minimum.

Integrating the globally recognized overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) industry standard, WebLytics identifies trends in real-time in the robot cell, including patterns, peaks, and disturbances in application productivity. OEE measures the percentage of manufacturing time that is truly productive – a score of 100% indicates that the collaborative application is producing only good parts, as fast as possible, and with no downtime. Leveraging these OEE measures, WebLytics can determine whether the manufacturing process is running at optimal speed and can monitor and analyze the quality of application cycles –key insights for manufacturers of all sizes.

WebLytics can report on utilization of the robot arm and OnRobot tools such as grippers, vision cameras, and sensors, as well as the number of safety stops initiated, and the number of grip cycles performed while an application is running.

When changes are made to a robot cell, such as adjusting the speed of a robot or the settings on a gripper, WebLytics can also automatically report on the impact of those changes on application performance.

If anomalies occur in the collaborative application after deployment, WebLytics enables users to analyze the data collected directly from the robot(s) and tools and report on its findings using customizable dashboards.

Dongjin Moon, administrative manager at Hyun Jeon Sa, tested WebLytics’ application monitoring capabilities on a range of pick & place applications:
“The overall configuration of WebLytics is very simple and easy to use for anyone; it’s intuitive to find and set functions, and the settings of each function are organized in order,” he said, recommending the use of WebLytics to manufacturers that want to monitor their entire production cell in one program. “The great advantage of WebLytics is it makes it possible to identify parts that affect productivity, performance, and quality while even comparing productivity between shifts by selecting a specific time frame. Furthermore, WebLytics monitors not only OnRobot tools but also connects and receives data from a wide range of robots and cobots. I particularly liked the dashboard features, allowing me to select and view data by designating it as a graph or window in different ways.”

WebLytics retains the ease-of-use, affordability, application focus and accessibility that defines every OnRobot product. Compatible with all leading collaborative robot and lightweight industrial robot arms and with all OnRobot tools, WebLytics is readily expandable, futureproofing it as new robots and tools become available. Access to WebLytics’ is provided through a secure, intuitive browser-based user interface, that displays OEE measures and user-defined KPIs through customizable dashboards that provide an immediate and transparent view into real-time and historical application performance.

The WebLytics server can be deployed on a shop floor’s local network or added to a virtual network that connects to the robot cell. Collected data is stored locally on the WebLytics server. Meanwhile, WebLytics’ built-in web server is always accessible from the shop floor network or from anywhere in the world via a secure HTTPS connection.

WebLytics is not just a powerful tool for end-users; it also creates new revenue opportunities for system integrators, by providing the software required to offer their customers data-backed custom service agreements and engineering services for cell optimization.

“WebLytics is the perfect addition to our existing product lines and a natural progression of the OnRobot tradition of making advanced tools and technologies — in this case, remote monitoring, device diagnostics and data analytics — affordable and accessible to companies of all sizes,” says Iversen.

https://onrobot.com/

EcoSynthetix Announces Ongoing Commercial DuraBind™ Volumes with Top 15 Wood Composites Manufacturer and Leading Retailer

Julie Fernandes

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November 14, 2021

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EcoSynthetix Announces Ongoing Commercial DuraBind™ Volumes with Top 15 Wood Composites Manufacturer and Leading Retailer

EcoSynthetix Inc. A renewable chemicals company that produces a portfolio of commercially proven bio-based products, today announced an annual contract renewal and purchase orders for continuous monthly volumes of the Company’s bio-based DuraBind™ resin into 2022 with a top 15 global manufacturer of wood composite products and a leading international retailer.

“Consumers, retailers and manufacturers are searching for greener and healthier choices in the everyday items they bring into their homes and we believe our DuraBind™ technology is the healthiest and most sustainable commercial binder for wood composites available,” said Jeff MacDonald, CEO of EcoSynthetix. “This ongoing commitment is a major milestone for the Company – the culmination of a six-year intensive process through which a forward-thinking manufacturer has evaluated alternatives, tested the performance and value offered by DuraBind™ and moved forward into commercial production.”

The manufacturer is using DuraBind™ in one of multiple mills that it owns. DuraBind™ enables the production of wood panels that are a step change ahead of existing regulatory standards for the level of VOC emissions and significantly increases the renewable content of engineered wood panels. The contract enables the manufacturer to increase volumes under the same terms. There are multiple avenues available to grow within the account, including increasing the volume of resin used in the planned production, expanding to the entire production of the facility, extending to the other mills it owns, as well as, adoption by other manufacturers within the retail supply chain.

“Broad-scale adoption within the industrial materials industry is a demanding process. We are working with strategic accounts, like this one, that are recognized as thought leaders on sustainability and establishing industry standards. We believe this ongoing commitment by the manufacturer demonstrates significant progress toward a sustainable, bio-based glue that creates significant carbon footprint reductions for wood composites. We also believe it will help mobilize other manufacturers to accelerate the pursuit of solutions in their supply chain that lower emissions and make a significant contribution to their carbon footprint reduction goals,” continued Mr. MacDonald.

www.ecosynthetix.com

Chemical researchers invent bio-petroleum for sustainable materials

Julie Fernandes

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November 14, 2021

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Chemical researchers invent bio-petroleum for sustainable materials

Led by CSP Investigators Michelle Chang and Paul Dauenhauer, researchers have developed a two-step pathway to produce petroleum-like liquids from renewable materials, such as glucose.

The hybrid approach combines fermentation and chemical synthesis, and it has the benefit of competing economically with conventional products derived from fossil fuels, while also improving sustainability. Technologies were integrated to find the lowest-energy and lowest-cost processing techniques leading to the most overall efficient method of making chemicals.

“This advance from the NSF Center for Sustainable Polymers demonstrates a truly innovative, green entry into the building blocks for valuable polymers/plastics,” said NSF Chemistry Division Director David Berkowitz. “By cleverly combining biology and chemistry, the Chang team has opened a new, potential bio-renewable alternative to petroleum cracking. These results showcase how NSF investments in collaborative, interdisciplinary science can push the envelope toward developing more sustainable chemical industries.”

These renewable liquids could serve as a more sustainable replacement for today’s fossil fuels used to make everyday products like plastic containers and bags, automobile parts, lubricants, and soaps.

https://csp.umn.edu/

New TPE solution complies with global food-contact regulations

Julie Fernandes

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November 14, 2021

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New TPE solution complies with global food-contact regulations

KRAIBURG TPE, a global TPE manufacturer of a diverse range of thermoplastic elastomer products and custom solutions for a variety of industries, offers the new THERMOLAST® K FC/AD/PP series for food contact applications

Today’s consumers are seeking products and brands that align with their health and safety values by making informed decisions prior to their purchase. This shift in consumer behavior has prompted manufacturers to ensure adherence and compliancy with national and international food safety regulations to attract more customers.

Consumers have the right to expect that the products they purchase will be safe and of high quality. That is why manufacturers have to ensure that the materials used in the production of such goods do indeed meet consumer expectations of safety and quality. It is for this reason that food-contact safe materials such as thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are fast gaining popularity.

Enter KRAIBURG TPE with its new THERMOLAST® K FC/AD/PP food- contact safe and regulation-compliant TPE series for a wide scope of consumer product applications.

Complying with various global food contact standards

‘Ensuring consumer safety is crucial for today’s consumer products manufacturers,’ states Lee Jia Yin, Product Developer at KRAIBURG TPE. She adds that KRAIBURG TPE’s new FC/AD/PP series satisfies food safety material requirements, and meets stringent regulatory criteria, including (EU)

No. 10/2011, GB 4806-2016, and (FDA) CFR Title 21. The series also complies with the DIN EN 71-3 toy specifications, as well as the REACH, SVHC and RoHS.

Material solution for everyday consumer applications KRAIBURG TPE’s FC/AD/PP series features properties such as PP adhesion, optimized flow, and hardness range from 30 to 90 Shore A. The materials are easily processable by injection molding, extrusion and 3D printing.

Furthermore, the compounds in the FC/AD/PP series are free from animal ingredients, heavy metals, phthalates, bisphenol A, and latex, accommodating to the production of sustainable goods.

The compounds are available in natural and translucent colors with the option of in-house pre-coloring, allowing the flexibility of a variety of product solutions.

The superior haptics and soft-touch features of KRAIBURG TPE’s new FC/AD/PP series of compounds are ideal for applications such as household goods, packaging for food and consumer care articles, razors, toothbrushes, toys and other products.

UniteChem expands its portfolio of high- performance light stabilizers

Julie Fernandes

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November 14, 2021

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UniteChem expands its portfolio of high-performance light stabilizers

Dusseldorf, Germany, November 3, 2021 – UniteChem Group, the world’s leading supplier of light stabilizers for plastics in a broad range of high-end industrial applications, has recently started full-scale production of advanced high-performance light stabilizers UniteChem LS2020 and LS119 in its newly commissioned production facilities.

“UniteChem Group began producing industry-standard light stabilizers such as UniteChem LS944 in 1997 and has been continuously expanding its polymer additives portfolio ever since”, says Junyi Lin, CEO of UniteChem Group. “Today, we are proud to be among the world’s largest- capacity suppliers of light stabilizers and other plastic additives, offering over 40’000 tons of finished products. Our full backward integration with a production capacity of over 80’000 tons of intermediates provides extensive production flexibility, high reliability, and maximum quality control. Current production, located in two state-of-the-art production facilities in Jiangsu province, is now in process of being complimented with two new major production facilities in Jiangsu and Sichuan provinces, with completion in 2022/23.”

UniteChem LS2020 is a modern HALS (hindered amine light stabilizer) offering excellent anti-aging properties in applications such as cross-linked polyethylene, olefin copolymers and other polymer materials. UniteChem LS119 is especially suited for use in polyethylene greenhouse film applications, polypropylene fibers, TPO automotive parts as well as other polymers such as EVA, EPDM, PA, PET and PMMA. With these product additions, UniteChem Group further enhances its commitment to offer customers the most up-to-date and value-added product portfolio.

Junyi Lin added: “The production of UniteChem LS2020 and LS119 is currently being methodically ramped up, with target capacities of 1’000 tons and 2’000 tons annually to meet global demand.”

As part of its commitment to invest in future solutions for its customers, UniteChem Group regularly allocates five percent of its total revenue to R&D, operating five independent laboratories – including its recently opened modern Shanghai R&D Center. Current efforts focus on expanding the group’s portfolio with high-demand UV Absorbers, NOR-HALS light stabilizers as well as other key polymer additives.

FROM TREES TO BATTERIES

Julie Fernandes

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November 14, 2021

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FROM TREES TO BATTERIES

At Stora Enso, we believe that everything that is made from fossil-based materials today can be made from a tree tomorrow. As another proof of this, we produce bio-based carbon called Lignode® by Stora Enso, used for sustainable electrification. Our aim is to meet the demands of the global battery market by developing renewable alternatives.

The battery market is projected to increase tenfold in the next ten years, especially due to increasing e-mobility solutions, such as electric cars, buses and bicycles. Synthetic graphite, a non-renewable, fossil-based material commonly used in batteries, can be replaced by lignin. Lignin makes up 20–30% of a tree and is a by-product in the production of cellulose fiber. It is one of the largest renewable sources of carbon anywhere, is traceable, and millions of tonnes of it are already being produced in Europe. Stora Enso is the largest kraft lignin producer in Europe, with an annual lignin production capacity of 50,000 tonnes.

Meeting the eco-friendly mindset of future customers

Lignin-based carbon can be used in batteries, typically those used in consumer electronics and the automotive industry, and in large-scale energy storage systems. Stora Enso uses dry lignin to manufacture Lignode and aims to create a European supply chain for the lithium-ion battery industry. Our target is to offer the most sustainable and lowest-impact anode material available, to meet the eco-friendly mindset of future consumers. Our lignin has superior traceability with sustainable raw-material management certificates.

Lignin-based carbon belongs to the category of so-called hard carbons, which were the basis for initial developments in Li-ion battery technologies. Hard carbons from lignin can be compared to other non-graphitic carbon anode materials. The structure of hard carbon in Lignode enable the anode in a battery to be charged and discharged more quickly, compared to traditional graphite. It also allows for better performance at lower temperatures, and is therefore less prone to safety risks in temperatures below freezing.

Together for a fossil-free future

As we know, innovation does not happen in isolation. To serve the fast-growing anode materials market, we are now exploring strategic partnerships to accelerate scale-up and commercialisation to drive self-sufficiency in the European battery supply chain.

The pilot plant for bio-based carbon materials is located at Stora Enso’s Sunila production site in Finland, where lignin has been industrially produced since 2015. The biorefinery’s annual lignin production capacity is 50,000 tonnes, making Stora Enso the largest kraft lignin producer in the world.

https://www.storaenso.com/