Waste oil and plastic residues transformed into new packaging with new partnership

Renewable fuel producer Neste and chemicals giant LyondellBasell have successfully produced bio-based polypropylene and bio-based low-density polyethylene at a commercial scale

Renewable fuel producer Neste and chemicals giant LyondellBasell have successfully produced bio-based polypropylene and bio-based low-density polyethylene at a commercial scale.

The companies claim it is the first time these materials have been produced in parallel and say they successfully converted waste oil and residues into several thousand tonnes of bio-based plastics.

These plastics are of a high enough quality to be approved for food packaging.

LyondellBasell used Neste’s renewable feedstock to make the materials at its site in Wesseling, Germany, before an independent third party tested the polymer products and confirmed they contained more than 30% renewable content.

The chemicals giant has already sold some of the renewable products produced in the trial to multiple food and household product manufacturers.

Neste’s President and CEO Peter Vanacker said: “This pioneering collaboration with LyondellBasell marks a major milestone in the commercialisation of Neste’s renewable polymers and chemicals business focusing on developing renewable and circular solutions for forward-looking sustainable brands.

The government has launched a £4.7 million fund to help boost the recycling of plastic packaging and textiles.

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