Carbon-footprint – rPET-bottle 04-10-2022 - Arhive
Crude Oil Prices Trend
-Void Technologies has received RecyClass approval for VO+ cavitation technology
Materials science company Void Technologies has received RecyClass approval for its VO+ cavitation technology, developed to accelerate the transition to more sustainable flexible packaging by reducing the amount of solid plastic in PE film. Cavitated Machine Direction Orientation (MDO), PE films produced using Void’s new ‘VO+ PE Masterbatch’ is claimed to offer 35% material saving achieved via density reduction and downgauging, and also opacity without TiO2.
The technology has now been accredited as fully compatible with the European polyethylene recycling stream, paving the way for its adoption by film and packaging manufacturers across the European Union.
VO+ is an extensively patented cavitation technology that replaces solid plastic with micro- and nano-scale air pockets to create high performance products with a reduced environmental footprint, without any gas injection or heavy mineral fillers. VO+ films are produced by blending the masterbatch with PE as part of the film extrusion process, before the film is MDO stretched. The orientation process causes the VO+ additives within the masterbatch to separate from the primary polymer to create a non-breathable nano- and micro-voided structure. The combination of MDO and cavitation leads to improved film performance including puncture, toughness, and high opacity via light diffraction without the need for TiO2.
VO+ technology offers two clear benefits for the recyclability of PE films. The first being, VO+ PE films have low density – even when very high opacity is required – meaning the films will always float in separation systems, as opposed to conventional PE films, which often sink due to high loadings of TiO2 pigments. In addition, during the recycling process, VO+ films will turn from white to clear and will retain similar properties to recycled PE resins.
-EU leaders to discuss Ukraine, energy prices, security amid Russian escalation
EU leaders will discuss how to step up support for Ukraine, their joint next steps to tame soaring energy prices and coordinate their response to the fallout of the Nord Stream sabotage when they meet later this week in Prague on Friday (7 October).
In his invitation letter to EU leaders published on Sunday (2 October), European Council President Charles Michel called for a firm EU response to recent developments, including Russia declaring the annexation of four regions of Ukraine last week.
“At our meeting, we will discuss how to continue providing strong economic, military, political and financial support to Ukraine for as long as it takes,” Michel said.
Russia’s formal announcement of the illegal annexation came after Moscow held what it called referendums in occupied areas of Ukraine, which both Western governments and Kyiv condemned as breaching international law.
The informal EU summit in Prague is also set to produce guidance on the next steps the EU should take to address soaring energy prices, Michel said.
“Our primary objective is to ensure that we guarantee the security of supply and affordable energy for our households and businesses, particularly as the winter cold approaches,” he said.
EU energy ministers adopted a fresh set of policies on Friday to tame high energy costs, including windfall profit taxes on energy firms.
The European Commission said it would put forward proposals to tackle high gas prices “soon”.
But member states remain divided over what to do next, with many calling for an EU-wide cap on gas prices, but others, including Europe’s economic powerhouse Germany, opposed.
EU leaders will also discuss on Friday how to protect their critical infrastructure after European countries have already stepped up security measures to safeguard energy supplies in the North Sea and off the coast of Italy as the investigation of unexplained ruptures in the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea continues.
The incidents have prompted some countries to send in military to secure potentially vulnerable energy systems.
On Saturday (1 October), Norway said its allies would help patrol its oil and gas platforms at sea after the explosions.
The European Commission, meanwhile, said last week it would run a “stress test” on the security of critical European infrastructure, but it remained unclear what such a step would entail.
Although not officially on the agenda, the informal summit could see another discussion on the next package of EU sanctions against Russia.
∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼
-Lanxess: certified carbon footprint for Polyamide 6, PBT and Glass Fibers
- Industry comparison confirms significantly lower CO2 emissions during polyamide 6 and glass fiber production
- From 2024 onward, even lower emissions for polyamide 6 thanks to second nitrous oxide reduction facility in Antwerp
- Carbon footprints of compounds soon available
The specialty chemicals company LANXESS is one of the world’s first plastics manufacturers to offer its customers – processors of its Durethan polyamides and Pocan polyesters (PBT) – certified values for the carbon footprint of the base resins. Certification was done by an accredited verification body and includes not only the polyamide 6 precursor caprolactam but also the glass fibers manufactured by LANXESS in Antwerp. Glass fibers are used for reinforcing plastics if necessary.
“These certified values enable our customers to more accurately estimate the climate-friendliness of their products and identify ways of further reducing their CO2 emissions,” says Guenter Margraf, Head of Sustainability and Product Management in the High Performance Materials business unit. “The values are also an important part of life cycle analyses, which are increasingly being used in the automotive and electrical and electronics industry to systematically analyze how products impact the environment from manufacturing through to disposal.”
Standardized cradle-to-gate analysis
The values were calculated according to the standard ISO 14067:2018 for the carbon footprint of products. The analysis factored in all the major emissions that occur up to the point at which the product leaves the LANXESS factory gate (cradle-to-gate). These include not only direct emissions (scope 1) but also indirect emissions from the purchase of energy (scope 2) as well as the emissions that occur in the upstream supply chain, for example those associated with the raw materials used and transportation processes (scope 3).
“We were especially pleased to learn that, with 3.66 metric tons of CO2 equivalents emitted per metric ton of polyamide 6 produced, the carbon footprint of our polyamide 6 base resin is much smaller than the current published European industry average,” says Margraf. One reason for this is that LANXESS synthesizes the plastic in a highly integrated plant network at its Antwerp site. From 2024 onward, the carbon footprint of polyamide 6 production is set to improve significantly yet again when, in 2023, if all goes to schedule, LANXESS will be opening a second nitrous oxide reduction facility in Antwerp. “Reducing nitrous oxide cuts the direct emissions associated with polyamide 6 production by almost 90%,” says Margraf. LANXESS is also looking to use sustainable raw material sources for Caprolactam with a view to reducing the carbon footprint of its polyamide 6 to less than three metric tons of CO2 equivalents. The certification also revealed that the carbon footprint of the PBT base resin from LANXESS was less than that of many other manufacturers.
In glass fiber production, LANXESS also has a significantly smaller carbon footprint compared with most of its competitors. “This applies in particular to our resource-efficient Eco glass fibers, which, with a carbon footprint of 0.4 metric tons of CO2 equivalents per metric ton of glass fiber, save more than 70% of emissions compared with the published industry average. We use industrial glass waste in our production, which reduces the consumption of raw materials and energy and avoids waste,” says Margraf.
Lower emissions thanks to more sustainable raw materials
LANXESS is looking to use the certified carbon footprints for identifying ways to reduce the level of greenhouse gases emitted during plastic production. One focus is on the use of sustainable raw materials due to the significant leverage effect that can be achieved here. New product ranges such as Durethan Blue, Durethan Eco or Pocan Eco are currently being extended that contain a significant proportion of circular (recycled or bio-based) raw materials or have a carbon footprint that is considerably smaller than conventional products. The sustainable origin of those raw materials is certified according to the ISCC Plus standard (“International Sustainability and Carbon Certification”). The certification is coupled with mass balancing, which allows the share of sustainable material in the end product to be determined and subsequently indicated in a transparent manner for processors. One product example is the 60%-glass-fiber-reinforced Durethan BLUEBKV60H2.0EF. In this polyamide 6 compound, 92% of the raw materials have been replaced by sustainable alternatives.
Carbon footprints to be available for compounds
LANXESS is now planning to calculate the carbon footprint associated with the compounding of polyamide and PBT (engineering plastics). “We are collaborating closely with our suppliers to not only calculate the carbon footprints of the different compounding raw materials but also leverage further potential for cutting emissions,” says Margraf.
The certified carbon footprint as well as the mass-balanced Eco and Blue product ranges will take center stage for LANXESS at the plastics trade show K 2022 in October (booth C76 – C78 in Hall 6).
LANXESS wants to make its entire supply chain climate-neutral
In August 2022, the specialty chemicals company announced its mission to make its upstream and downstream supply chains climate-neutral by 2050.
∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼
-Teijin Introduces LCA for Carbon Fiber Intermediate Materials
Teijin Limited announced today that it has adopted lifecycle assessment (LCA) to calculate the environmental footprint of its carbon fiber intermediate materials. By calculating the environmental impacts of its production processes, Teijin expects to devise ways to reduce emissions in each production process as well as to expedite collaboration with partner companies throughout its supply chain,
from manufacturing to disposal, and to implement LCA initiatives for the entire lifecycles of Teijin carbon fiber products.
Teijin completed the LCA of its carbon fiber filament manufacturing processes in December 2021, based on which the company has calculated the LCA for its carbon fiber filament applications. This covers carbon fiber textiles, prepregs (pre-impregnated with matrix resin) and short fibers for composites used in diverse applications, such as sporting goods, industrial products, aircraft, automobiles and other applications requiring excellent combinations of low weight and high strength.
Teijin’s LCA studies, which have been certified by an independent third-party organization, in accordance with the ISO14040 and ISO14044 standards, will provide customers with reliable emissions data regarding Teijin’s carbon fiber intermediate materials and thereby help these companies to evaluate their own environmental footprints better.
Looking ahead, Teijin expects to expand the scope of its LCA activities to other carbon fiber products, in cooperation with customers, including the makers of final products.
The Teijin Group is committed to reducing its consolidated energy consumption as well as adopting more renewable energy and recycling methods. By positioning the company to help realize a sustainable economy, the Teijin Group aims to reduce its group-wide in[1]house carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050 under a long-term vision of being a company that supports the society of the future.
-Coca-Cola Vietnam launches 100% rPET bottle
Coca-Cola Vietnam is introducing bottles made from 100% rPET (excluding caps and labels), across the country. The company expect to avoid using around 2,000 tonnes of new plastic in Vietnam annually by this step.
The new rPET packaging will debut this September for bottles of Coca-Cola Original and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar including 300ml bottles and offers the double benefit of convenience and sustainability for on-the-go consumers in Vietnam.
This announcement is a significant step for the Coca-Cola system in Vietnam to grow its circular economy vision and help bottles become another bottle. The safety of the new rPET plastic packaging has been thoroughly reviewed and complies with Vietnam regulations and The Coca-Cola Company’s global standards for food-grade rPET packaging.
The Coca-Cola Company has a global World Without Waste vision to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle and can it sells by 2030. But it’s not just about collecting and recycling bottles, it’s also about using less new plastic. As such, the company has a global goal to use at least 50% recycled content in its packaging by 2030. The Coca-Cola Company now offers 100% rPET bottles in more than 30 markets around the world.
To build awareness and encourage action on recycling last year, Coca-Cola rolled out a prominent ‘Recycle Me’ message across all its packaging in Vietnam. Sprite also transitioned and replaced its iconic green bottles to clear packaging in Vietnam in order to give the bottles the best chance of another life.
Since 2018, Coca-Cola Vietnam has been working with partners such as Centre for Supporting Green Development (Green Hub), and local recyclers to support and incentivize informal plastic waste collectors who are the backbone of the recycling industry in Vietnam. With support from The Coca-Cola Foundation, the company is furthermore partnering with Unesco in their programs to raise community awareness and find innovative solutions for plastic waste management at Cu Lao Cham and Cat Ba islands since 2020.
∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼
-2022 PET Chemical Recycling: Depolymerization Forum
Join this event to get key insights about PET Chemical Recycling Depolymerization
About this event
In 2019, Petcore Europe launched the PET Depolymerisation Recycling working group – with initial engagement by companies involved in the development of new and innovative processes to recycle PET and Polyester waste by depolymerization and reusing its monomer constituents.
Due to the growing interest in PET Monomer Recycling, Petcore Europe is happy to announce the 2022 PET Chemical Recycling: Depolymerization Forum on the 11th of October 2022 from 14:00 to 17:45.
Agenda | 2 PM CET | Tuesday, 11 OCTOBER 2022
2:00–2:05 PM: Welcome & Introduction Raphael Jaumotte (Petcore Europe)
2:05 –2:15 PM: Regulatory updates Leonor Garcia (Uetliberg partners)
2:15–4:05 PM: Individual updates by the companies involved in the Petcore Europe’s Depolymerization WG
Confirmed Speakers:
Bruno Langlois (Carbios)
Marco Brons (Cure Technology)
Inari Seppä (Eastman)
Guido Fragiacomo (Garbo)
Maurizio Crippa (Gr3n)
Maarten Stolk (Ioniqa)
Sander Gaemers (Ineos)
Fabian Lamber (Axens / IFPEN)
Adel Essaddam (Loop Industries)
Carsten Eichert (Rittec)
3:40–4:05 PM: Q&A Session
4:05–4:20 PM: Coffee Break
4:20 –5:00 PM: LCA of Depolymerization Recycling for PET – the key to the integration in the value chain
Confirmed Speakers:
4:20–4:30 PM: Bruno Langlois (Carbios)
4:30–4:40 PM: 4:40–Jason Pierce (Eastman)
4:40–4:50 PM: Mandy Paschetag (Rittec)
4:50–5:00 PM: Q&A Session
5:00–5:10 PM: Impact of regulatory EU 282-2008 recast, on different recycling project timeline
Bruno Langlois (Carbios)
Q&A Session
5:10–5:20 PM: The place of Depolymerization recycling within the whole material circle
Marco Brons (Cure Technology)
Q&A Session
5:20–5:30 PM: Interactions between mechanical recycling and depolymerization
Chaim Waibel (Plastics Recyclers Europe)
5:30–5:45 PM: Q&A and Closing Session
-US imposes sanctions on Indian petrochemical firm over Iran ties
Mumbai-based Tibalaji is accused of purchasing Iranian petroleum products and selling them to China.
The US has imposed economic sanctions on an Indian company for purchasing Iranian petroleum products. These items were then reportedly shipped to China.
Mumbai-based Tibalaji Petrochem was among a group of companies, including some from the UAE and Hong Kong, to be targeted for the sanctions.
“Tibalaji…is the first Indian entity to face…unilateral sanctions passed in 2018-19, after the US Trump administration’s decision to walk out of the nuclear deal…with Iran,” The Hindu reported today. “…the Modi government agreed to end all oil imports from Iran in 2019, that made up about 11% of India’s intake, rather than face the sanctions.”
Notably, the sanctions were reported a day after Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar returned from the US.
Tibalaji had reportedly purchased millions of dollars worth of petrochemical products, including methanol and base oil, from Triliance, an Iranian company that brokers the sale of Iranian products to foreign purchasers, for onward shipment to China.
∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼
-Japan to pay up to $320M for US company’s chip production
Japan is providing a major U.S. chipmaker a subsidy of up to 46.6 billion yen ($322 million) to support its plan to produce advanced memory chips at a Hiroshima factory, the Japanese trade minister said Friday.
The announcement to subsidize Micron Technology comes on the heels of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit in Japan as the two countries step up cooperation on expanding manufacturing and supply chains for critical materials.
“I hope the deal will contribute to further expansion of cooperation between Japan and the United States in the area of semiconductors,” Japan’s Economy and Trade Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said.
He said the government approved the deal Friday under a law related to economic security.
Japan has set up its own fund to support semiconductor production, and Friday’s agreement is its third deal.
During her trip to Asia this week, Harris met with Japanese officials and semiconductor company executives to seek greater cooperation in strengthening semiconductor development and production amid China’s growing influence.
Micron was among the companies that participated in the meeting with Harris, along with Tokyo Electron, Nikon, Hitachi High-Tech Group, Fujitsu Ltd.
Micron said in a statement it will use the subsidy to strengthen production capacity and speed up development of the company’s 1-beta DRAM — memory chips that are key to advanced data facilities — as well as technology for a 5G network upgrade and artificial intelligence.
The United States is working to solidify its technology cooperation with Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, while trying to increase its domestic semiconductor manufacturing, amid China’s own investment in computer chips.
The deal Friday “symbolizes the investment and integration of our two economies and supply chains,” said U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, who has been promoting economic security between the two allies. “And that will only accelerate from here forward.”
Nishimura has stressed the U.S.-Japan alliance on semiconductors, energy and other areas.
Japan was once a world leader in computer chip manufacturing, but its status has eroded over the last two decades, and the country is increasingly worried about falling behind.
Japan has allocated 476 billion yen ($3.3 billion) in subsidies for a new factory in Japan’s southern prefecture of Kumamoto being built in a partnership between the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Sony Group and Denso Corp.
∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼