SIBUR’s POLIEF site in Blagoveshchensk, Republic of Bashkortostan, launches the production of green PET granules, which, among other materials, will rely on some 34 kt of recycled plastics annually. PET flakes derived from used food packaging will serve as an input for primary polymers. Compliant with the highest standards, POLIEF green granules will help satisfy growing demand for eco-friendly PET packaging while providing the manufacturer with a comprehensive solution combining primary and secondary PET. On top of that, reusing valuable feedstock to make high-quality products will cut specific electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, as a result.
PET is utilised to manufacture packaging for soft drinks, dairy products, pharmaceuticals, household chemicals, and much more. PET packages are inert to foods, safe for people and the environment, and fully recyclable.
Maxim Remchukov, Head of Sustainable Development at SIBUR:
“Involving recyclables in PET production is a vital part of SIBUR’s 2025 Sustainability Strategy. SIBUR remains focused on boosting process efficiency, improving its grade range, enhancing product properties and developing new solutions. By using recycled feedstock, the Company will help promote the circular economy, while also cutting its greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of end products.”
SIBUR has signed relevant cooperation agreements with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Russian Environmental Operator on the sidelines of EEF 2019. The investment project provides for installing the equipment to further treat and sort flakes, which will make it possible to feed the recycled feedstock into the existing production line. The design and engineering documentation will leverage the latest solutions and technologies from global leaders in industrial polymer processing. The project is on the priority list of SIBUR’s Blagoveshchensk site for 2020–2022.
Evgeny Semenko, CEO of POLIEF:
“We expect to start using recycled polyethylene terephthalate packaging at POLIEF by mid-2022. This will enable us to offer both primary and secondary PET and contribute to promoting the circular economy. The processing method allows for the polymer break-down and repeated use of feedstock. The approved technology for using secondary PET (PET flakes) in the primary PET production is an eco-friendly advanced way of industrial PET recycling, unique in Russia.”
PET flakes will come from different parts of Russia, with Bashkortostan and the neighbouring regions having priority. The project will rely on intermediates from processed bottles washed and prepared by suppliers at their own sites. The incoming feedstock will be checked for compliance with quality standards. Bashkortostan currently collects 4 kt of used PET bottles per year, with the figure to potentially reach 20 ktpa if measures are taken to improve collection rates and the sorting quality.
https://www.sibur.ru/

Initiative is the result of a partnership with Valoren, a company that develops and operates technologies for the transformation of waste, for the production of recycled resin with high quality

Fabiana Quiroga, director of Circular Economy at Braskem in South America, explains that technology is a great ally to leverage recycling in Brazil and, consequently, the post-consumer polymer market. “The rates of waste recovery have grown gradually in recent years and we believe that, among the challenges that the sector still faces, the increase in the quality of PCR resin, which expands its possibilities of use, is an important factor for us to continue advancing in development We are very pleased to announce the partnership with Valoren, which will add to our business its expertise in waste management and supply, in addition to the development of technologies for recycling, favoring the entire plastic value chain “, he says.  
Most of the waste processed in the recycling line will be of domestic origin, considering rigid polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) materials, such as food packaging, cleaning materials, personal hygiene products and cosmetics. The material, after processed, will yield a high quality PCR.
The recycling line will be formed by a modular complex, that is, that integrates different stages of the process. The plastic waste placed at the beginning of the process will go through the grinding, washing, extrusion and homogenization steps. The design of the project is unprecedented and the machinery has cutting edge European technology, complemented by national equipment.
Among the project’s differentials are: high performance washing line, with optical selector for removing contaminants by color and by type of material; homogenizing silos; high-precision additive and input dosing systems; and, module for odor elimination and high performance polymer filtration, which will contribute to the quality of the final PCR. The system also seeks to meet the best sustainability practices, with recirculating water treatments, to optimize water and energy resources. In addition, the project reinforces Braskem’s commitment to adopt the best practices in pellet control – the format in which plastic resin is sold.
“We strongly believe in this partnership with Braskem when we contribute to the development of an innovative project, which brings to Brazil the best of the world technology in mechanical recycling, fully aligned with Valoren’s mission of expanding the circular economy through the valorization of waste, applying innovative technologies and business models.The project is not only technological and economical, but also environmental and social by integrating a new material supply chain into the new plant that will promote an increase in the recycling of plastic waste and the professionalization of recyclers in Brazil “, comments Heinz-Peter Elstrodt, Chairman of Valoren’s Board.
“Braskem was born with sustainable development as an objective linked to the business and the circular economy has always been part of our mindset . We believe in the importance of mobilizing all the links in the chain, from the industry to the final consumer, in order to advance in the transformation we desire while This recycling line is another important step in the construction of this journey “, concludes Fabiana. 
Contribution of plastic to neutralize carbon emissions
Largest producer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas and world leader in the production of biopolymers, Braskem announced, in November, the expansion of its efforts to become a carbon neutral company by 2050. To achieve this goal, the company’s strategy considers reduction initiatives , carbon offset and capture.
Among the defined goals, the company intends, by 2030, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15% and expand its I’m greenT portfolio, which considers products with a focus on circular economy, to include, by 2025, 300 thousand tons of thermoplastic resins and chemicals with recycled content; reaching 1 million tons of these products by 2030. In addition, the company will work to ensure that in the next ten years there is an adequate disposal of 1.5 million tons of plastic waste.
https://www.braskem.com.br/

A University of Akron (UA) professor’s latest development in bioplastics has the potential to make important strides in sustainability for future plastics.
In the lab of Dr. Shi-Qing Wang in UA’s School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, the team is focusing on research that showcases effective strategies for turning brittle polymers into tough and flexible materials. For example, the group has recently produced a prototype poly(lactic acid) (PLA) cup that is transparent, super tough and does not shrink when filled with boiling water.
“Plastics have become an essential part of our daily lives, though most cannot be recycled and therefore accumulate in landfills,” says Wang, who currently serves as the Kumho Polymer Science Professor. “Some promising biodegradable/compostable alternatives, such as PLA, are typically not strong enough to replace traditional fossil-fuel based polymers like poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) because these sustainable materials are brittle.”
Dr. Ramani Narayan, distinguished professor in Michigan State University’s Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and renowned scientist in the bioplastics space, says Wang’s research has the potential to be a breakthrough in the PLA market.
“PLA is the world’s foremost 100% biobased and fully compostable polymer,” says Narayan. “But it has low toughness and a low heat distortion temperature. It softens and structurally collapses around 140 degrees Fahrenheit, making it unusable in many hot food packing applications and disposable containers. Dr. Wang’s research could be disruptive technology because his prototype PLA cup is tough, transparent, and yet rigid to hold boiling water.”
Wang, who has taught at UA for 20 years, has been trying to establish a knowledge base for understanding the processing-structure-property relationship for various plastics and applying the latest understanding to deal with the notorious brittleness of PLA.
To explain the science behind how his prototype PLA cup is able to gain ductility and achieve heat resistance, Wang uses the analogy of cooked spaghetti. If the molten PLA is magnified by a million times, each chainlike molecule would look like a strand of spaghetti, many meters in length. For thermoplastics (including PLA) to be tough, it is important that crystallization does not remove or disrupt the intertwining of “spaghetti strands”.
Wang calls this interwoven structure the “chain network”. It is through such a structure that anyone can pick up nearly all of the spaghetti strands out of a bowl with a pair of chopsticks. This chain network, when properly manipulated, ensures that the PLA beverage cup is mechanically strong without crystallization. But such a commercial cup collapses when boiling water is poured into it.  “Cups made from normally crystallized PLA can hold boiling water but are terribly brittle and opaque,” said Wang.
By investigating the origin of ductility in semicrystalline polymers, Wang’s research group discovered a way to limit crystals to nanoscopic scales in PLA while preserving the network, resulting in the clear, tough and heat resistant cup. Such a transparent cup can hold hot tea and coffee and could replace most plastic beverage cups on the market.
“The impact of our new understanding could finally stimulate the PLA market to grow exponentially,” says Wang.
A U.S. patent on how to modify PLA based materials has been filed through UA’s Office of Technology Transfer.
https://www.uakron.edu/