This value chain collaboration enables ocean bound plastic (OBP) to be successfully brought back into circular material stream for conversion to high-quality flexible packaging.

Sabic collaborated with Scientex in the packaging value chain to enable it to develop material for the world’s first flexible food packaging based on advanced recycled OBP, using SABIC certified circular polypropylene (PP). Compact Lunch Box

“We are proud to offer our customers circular solutions to reduce plastic waste that could otherwise end up in our rivers and oceans,” says Abdullah Al Otaibi, General Manager, Engineering Thermoplastic & Market Solutions Business Unit for Petrochemicals at Sabic. “This flexible food packaging containing OBP connects with our TRUCIRCLE™ program of circular solutions designed to help protect our planet.”

“Thanks to this highly efficient collaboration with Sabic, we are able to bring the world’s first advance recycled flexible PP food packaging to the Asian market, using circular OBP,” states Paul Ng Kok Leong, Head of BOPP Film Division, Scientex Group. “This successful initiative demonstrates the feasibility of tackling the plastic waste issue through dedicated value chain collaborations and sets a milestone in shaping a circular plastics economy in Malaysia and across Southeast Asia.”

The OBP used in the project is recovered and converted to pyrolysis oil in an advanced recycling process. Sabic uses this oil as an alternative feedstock to produce certified circular PP polymer for further processing to BOPP film.

Scientex then manufactures and prints the noodle packs from this film. The entire chain from the management of the collected OBP to the final packaging is seamlessly accredited under established certification regimes.

Cookie Jar Storage With a mass balance accounted for OBP content of 30%, the certified circular PP from Sabic performs the same way as incumbent fossil-based virgin PP and could be used as a direct drop-in alternative in this flexible food packaging application, without the need to change its existing assets and processes.