Borealis, Trexel develop new reusable and fully recyclable lightweight bottle

Photo Credit: Borealis

It’s becoming more and more common for plastics firms – particularly material suppliers and recyclers – to collaborate to boost the sustainability of products and processes within the plastics industry.

A recent case in point? Austrian chemical company Borealis and Trexel, an expert in foaming injection and blow molded parts, have co-developed a new plastic bottle based on a grade from the Bornewable portfolio of polyolefins made using renewable feedstocks derived 100 per cent from waste and residue streams.

The lightweight bottle – which will be showcased at the Borealis stand at the K 2022 trade show in Germany in October – is reusable and fully recyclable, and is said to have a significantly lower overall CO2 footprint because it’s composed of renewably-sourced feedstock and produced in the foaming process.

Additional benefits include the fact that converters can not only minimize the use of materials and consume less energy in the production process when using the MuCell foaming technology, which enables greater density reductions, improved mechanical properties, and attractive surface aesthetics – the process can also help fulfill growing market demand for more sustainable packaging solutions.

The larger processing window facilitates its application to a wider range of products, the companies said. MuCell foamed parts are recyclable and can thus be reintroduced into the polymer stream. The lightweighting benefits of foaming have become particularly compelling as the industry seeks to use less energy in production, minimize the use of materials, and also fulfill growing market demand for more sustainable packaging solutions.

“Reuse and recycling are core components of the integrated circular cascade model aligned with our platform, which unites committed players across the entire value chain in accelerating the move to plastics circularity,” said Peter Voortmans, Borealis global commercial director consumer products. “This project is an excellent example of how we are working with industry partners to solve the problem of plastic waste while delivering real value to our customers. Combining our polymers and recycling expertise with Trexel’s material processing know-how enables us to re-invent essentials for sustainable living.”