SABIC Reaches a Milestone on the Road to Circularity, Created the First Certified Recycled Portfolio from Ocean-Bound Plastic

Saudi Arabia-based SABIC, the world’s leading petrochemical giant, in collaboration with Malaysia’s plastic recycler Heng Hiap Industries Sdn Bhd (HHI) has produced a portfolio of circular polyolefins, the world’s first in the line, by recycling used ocean-bound plastic. The circular polyolefins generated from an advanced recycling process will enter the market under SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE™ portfolio dedicated for the company’s circular solutions and shall be exploited by SABIC’s customers who will proceed to announce the recycled polyolefins-based products in the upcoming months.

The produced polyolefins utilize the mixed and used plastics feed recovered from the ocean-feeding waterways and inland areas that cover 50 kilometres of the radius of the oceans by HHI partners in Malaysia. The collected plastics are moved to HHI plants where they are recycled to high-quality pyrolysis oil. The Pyrolysis oil so generated, is transported to SABIC where it is used to produce new circular polymers (like Polyethylene Terephthalate, Polycarbonate etc.) thereby offsetting the fossil fuel-based raw materials in SABIC’s production line. The material collected by HHI has received certification under the Zero Plastic Oceans accreditation.

Ocean-bound plastics are the waste plastics that get diverted to the oceans by the rains, tides, wind etc. Around 80% of these plastics, which could be recovered from near the coastlines of the oceans, come from land dumping.

As per ChemAnalyst, the launch of circular polyolefins recycled from ocean-bound plastics marks an important initiative by SABIC to strengthen the circularity in the polyolefins value chain. The newly developed circular materials are expected to stabilize the supply of polyethylene terephthalate and other related polyolefins in the downstream industry. Furthermore, the innovation may inspire new players in the ocean-bound plastics recycling business which will not only lead to a surplus inflow of recycled products in the market but also aid in reducing the global carbon footprint at high rates.