Renewable fuel producer Neste and chemicals giant LyondellBasell have successfully produced bio-based polypropylene and bio-based low-density polyethylene at a commercial scale. The companies claim it is the first time these materials have been produced in parallel and say they successfully converted waste oil and residues into several thousand tonnes of bio-based plastics. These plastics are of a high enough quality to be approved for food packaging. LyondellBasell used Neste’s renewable feedstock to make the materials at its site in Wesseling, Germany, before an independent third party tested the polymer products and confirmed they contained more than 30% renewable content. The chemicals giant has already sold some of the renewable products produced in the trial to multiple food and household product manufacturers. Neste’s President and CEO Peter Vanacker said: “This pioneering collaboration with LyondellBasell marks a major milestone in the commercialisation of Neste’s renewable polymers and chemicals business focusing on developing renewable and circular solutions for forward-looking sustainable brands. The government has launched a £4.7 million fund to help boost the recycling of plastic packaging and textiles.
Finnish firm Peter Vanacker and the Netherlands' LyondellBasell have sold bio-based polypropylene and low-density polyethylene, created during the first at-scale production run at a German facility, to food and household product manufacturers. Independent testing revealed the plastics, made from waste oil and residues, contained more than 30% renewable content and were of sufficient quality to be used for food packaging.