SABIC, Fibertex bring 1st circular polypropylene

SABIC, a global leader in the chemicals industry, is collaborating with Fibertex Personal Care, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of spunbond nonwovens for the hygiene industry, to create a range of nonwovens using high-purity recycled plastics from SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE^™ portfolio and services. This will be the world’s first nonwovens range based on recycled plastics in the hygiene industry. The initiative is seen by the two partners as an exciting step towards a more sustainable supply chain and greater recyclability for nonwovens.

Mikael Staal Axelsen, Group CEO Fibertex Personal Care and Innowo Print and Mette Due Søgaard, QA & Sustainability Director of Fibertex Personal Care at the Aalborg site, exploring ISCC Plus certified nonwovens.

The new nonwovens will be made from SABIC’s circular polypropylene, using feedstock derived from previously used plastics, certified under the ISCC PLUS (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) system. The material is part of the SABIC PURECARES^™ portfolio of polypropylene for Personal Hygiene applications that was introduced at the beginning of this year. The certified circular PP material produced by SABIC is created from post-consumer mixed plastics that have been broken down into their molecular building blocks and then re-polymerized to create virgin plastics. The new material can be used as a drop-in solution while meeting the brand owner’s requirements for purity and consumer safety for the hygiene industry applications.

SABIC applies the “mass balance” approach to polymers offered as part of its TRUCIRCLE portfolio and services which spans design for recyclability, mechanically recycled products, certified circular products from feedstock recycling of used plastics, and certified renewables products from bio-based feedstock.

The widely recognized ISCC PLUS certification verifies that mass balance accounting follows predefined and transparent rules. In addition, it provides traceability along the supply chain, from the feedstock to the final product. Fibertex Personal Care’s recent attainment of the ISCC PLUS certification is a result of an extensive experience and focus on sustainability. Fibertex Personal Care will provide certified circular nonwovens to its customers with their Comfort, Elite, Dual and Loft product range. These certified nonwovens can be adopted in downstream processes, without compromising convertibility, product properties or performance of the final product.

Mikael Staal Axelsen, Group CEO, Fibertex Personal Care, said: “This is an important step forward in supporting our sustainable strategy and important step in development and expansion of a supply chain for bio-based and circular polymers. SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE initiative makes this possible. We are proud to cooperate with SABIC in developing the first circular nonwovens for the hygiene market.”

Sergi Monros, Vice President of Performance Polymers & Industry Solutions for Petrochemicals at SABIC, said: “With Fibertex Personal Care’s expertise in nonwovens, brand owners can take full advantage of our innovative TRUCIRCLE solutions and PURECARES product portfolio and integrate them into their hygiene applications. We are working together to find further solutions to drive forward the circularity in the hygiene industry.”

The solution supports a mutual wish to gradually replace fossil resources and thereby help reduce carbon emissions. SABIC and Fibertex Personal Care look forward to engaging further with the hygiene industry.