Sabic, a global leader in the diversified chemical industry, has introduced a new high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with mechanically recycled content as part of TRUCIRCLE, the company’s commitment to help accelerate a circular economy for plastics.
The material was custom-developed for blow molding of motor oil and lubricant bottles. It has a content in the range of 30% mechanically recycled post-consumer plastic. The initiative aims to drive toward a full closed loop from bottle to bottle in the Saudi Arabian automotive aftermarket.
Abdullah Al-Otaibi, General Manager, Engineering Thermoplastics & Market Solutions, Sabic said, “At Sabic, we are committed to accelerating the transition toward more circular solutions for the automotive aftermarket. This transformation will not only require innovation, but also collaboration which will be taken across the value chain to bring to life feasible closed-loop initiatives such as those under our TRUCIRCLE program.”
“This first mechanical recycling project aims to create a solid new sustainable business model in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It demonstrates the feasibility to scale up circular solutions and the combined expertise to extend the life of plastics and regain value from post-consumer oil bottle waste,” he added.
The development of Sabic HDPE T3K01B needed to overcome several technical challenges. The final material solution with 30% post-consumer recycled content has been thoroughly tested at Sabic’s Plastics Application Development Center (SPDAC) in Riyadh. It shows the same batch-to-batch consistency, process ability and in-use properties as Sabic’s all-virgin HDPE blow-molding grade. Reliable bottle performance was confirmed in comprehensive practical trials, including standard drop impact, top load and dimensional stability testing.
According to the Sabic internal life cycle assessment study, the 30% post-consumer mechanically recycled compound offers a carbon footprint reduction in the range of 20% when compared to a 100% virgin HDPE grade*.
The launch of Sabic HDPE T3K01B further expands the growing range of Sabic’s TRUCIRCLE circular solutions and services. In addition to mechanically recycled materials and closed-loop initiatives, the TRUCIRCLE offering also comprises design for recyclability services, certified circular products from advanced recycling of used plastics and certified renewable polymers from bio-based feedstock.