Circular Economy

Bioeconomy Horizons: Transforming the Chemical Industry

The bioeconomy offers the chemical industry new pathways to resilience and sustainability—even as economic and political priorities shift

Metpack and BASF Cooperate on Compostable Paper

For sustainable food packaging, Metpack is now offering coated paper and cardboard that is home compostable.

OMV Opens Plant for Plastic Recycling

OMV has announced the expansion of its innovative ReOil technology at the Schwechat refinery near Vienna.

Circular Solutions

The path to a sustainable, net-zero future for the chemical industry is paved with challenges – and also opportunities.

“Quo vadis, Europe?”

Today, economic success is defined by a different perception and practice of supply capability and supply security. This applies not only to the European trade with chemicals but to the entire chemical value chain.

Circular Solutions

The path to a sustainable, net-zero future for the chemical industry is paved with challenges – and also opportunities.

DNACotton –Tracing the Journey of Your Fabrics and Their Sustainability Aspects

DNACotton is a female-led start-up from Türkiye that has developed a blockchain-based labeling and traceability system for textiles. The solution allows for reliable monitoring and analysis of materials, from fiber production to customer delivery.

LanzaTech, Seksui to Develop Waste-to-Ethanol Plants in Japan

US green technology firm LanzaTech has signed an agreement with Sekisui Chemical to deploy, at commercial scale, a jointly developed platform that converts syngas derived from municipal solid waste (MSW) and industrial solid waste into ethanol. Sekisui intends to build multiple facilities in municipalities across Japan which incorporate equipment packages, engineering and advisory services, consumables, and intellectual property provided by LanzaTech, the companies said.

Packaging Industry Drives Circular Economy through Science, Innovation and Consumer Insights

The concept of a circular economy, where materials are recycled and reused, is becoming increasingly important in consumer packaging, driven by regulatory requirements and customer interest. Modern technical advancements make it easier to think of today's goods and products as the resources of tomorrow. One such product is plastic.

Evonik Launches ‘Circular Economy Program’

Evonik announced that it is significantly expanding its commitment to developing solutions for the circular economy, bundling its activities in the group-wide Circular Economy Program. From 2030, the German specialty chemicals company aims to generate at least €1 billion in additional sales per year from circular products and technologies.

LyondellBasell Acquires 25% of Joint Venture Cyclyx

LyondellBasell has acquired a 25% stake in Cyclyx International, a joint venture between Agilyx and ExxonMobil formed in December 2020. Cyclyx is working with industry participants to develop innovative recycling solutions for all types of post-use plastics and aims at increasing the recyclability of plastics from 10% to 90%.

OMV and Wood Collaborate to License Chemical Recycling Technology

Austrian oil, gas and chemicals group OMV is collaborating with British engineering and consulting group Wood for the worldwide commercial licensing of OMV’s proprietary ReOil technology. The agreement follows a respective Memorandum of Understanding, that was signed between the two companies last year.

LyondellBasell to Acquire Mepol Group

LyondellBasell has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Mepol Group, a manufacturer of recycled, high-performing engineering compounds based in Italy and Poland.

The Energy Crisis as Opportunity

The current crisis, exacerbated by the economic downturn and war in Ukraine, can be an opportunity to reduce dependence on fossil feedstocks and explore sustainable alternatives.

Covestro Puts MDI Expansion on Hold Again

Covestro is again putting on hold its previously announced plans to build a new 500,000 t/y plant for polyurethane precursor MDI.

SABIC at K Show 2022

During this year’s K show, SABIC will highlight its commitment to circular, sustainable solutions designed to reduce plastic waste and support the shift to product electrification.

Neste Studies Porvoo Shift to Renewable, Circular Feedstocks

Finnish oil refiner Neste has launched a study on transforming its Porvoo facility to renewables and circular feedstocks, ending crude oil refining in the mid-2030s.

Planning for the Unexpected

Dorothee Arns, Director General of FECC, discusses current challenges, market trends and her vision for the chemical distribution industry in Europe. The interview was conducted by Michael Reubold and Ralf Kempf.

Processes4Planet: EU Cross-Sectorial R&I

The Processes4Planet (P4Planet) partnership’s goal is to transform the European process industries to make them circular and achieve overall climate neutrality at EU level by 2050, while enhancing their global competitiveness.

BASF to Build Battery Recycling Pilot at Schwarzheide

With an eye toward the growing electric vehicle market, BASF has announced it will build a battery recycling prototype plant at the site of its cathode active materials (CAM) production facility in Schwarzheide, Germany.

On the Way to Climate Neutrality

The EU Commission’s ambitious plan for a European Green Deal, launched shortly before the pandemic struck in early 2020, aims to make the continent the world’s first climate-neutral region by 2050. The goals spelled out in January last year call for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% up to 2030, compared with 1990 levels.

Repsol Joins Ecoplanta Waste-to-Chemicals Project

Spanish energy group Repsol is joining the Ecoplanta project that will build a waste-to-chemicals plant in Tarragona.

Sustainable Supply Chain Management in the Chemical Industry

Besides digitalization, sustainability and the circular economy are the key issues facing the chemical industry at present and in the com­ing decades.

NextChem and IndianOil Sign Circular Economy Pact

NextChem, the green chemistry arm of Italian engineering contractor Maire Tecnimont, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IndianOil to develop industrial projects using NextChem technologies.

Lummus Forms Green Circle Business

US process licensor Lummus Technology has established a new business called Green Circle that will expand its capabilities and capture new opportunities in the energy transition and circular economy.

Advancing Sustainable Chemical Solutions

Without products based directly or indirectly on chemicals, life as we know it would be unsustainable. According to various sources, more than 95% of the products around us are either made by the chemical industry or involve at least one chemical process step in their manufacture.

Into the Crucible: Will the European Chemicals Industry Rise to the Circularity Challenge?

Chemicals are a critical, but often overlooked, factor of success for a circular economy. 96% of all products on European markets, from food to medical treatments, from buildings to consumer electronics, rely on chemicals, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise. But what does circularity mean for the future of the chemicals industry? Should it embrace circular systems or resist them?

Upcycling of Post-Consumer PLA Waste

Designed for their performance and durability, synthetic plastics have become indispensable as “materials of every-day use”. However, their characteristic long life span and indiscriminate disposal have led to an acute problem of plastic pollution. In order to address this issue, the European Union is not only trying to adopt a circular system to reuse, repair and recycle plastics (circular economy) but it also aims to produce plastics out of renewable resources (biobased plastics).

Circular Economy for Polymers in Liquid Formulated Products

Circular Economy

The chemical industry is on the threshold of a new era – the age of circularity. We asked industry experts to share their opinions on this transformational topic.

Contributing to the Circular Economy

Cellugy was founded two years ago by a diverse team of young academics and professionals from Spain, Indonesia, Albania, and Denmark. Working together at Aarhus University in Denmark, the idea of developing a material based on nanocellulose as an alternative to plastic barrier coatings arose and grew into a start-up and a first product. Co-founders Isabel Alvarez-Martos and Deby Fapyane talk about their motivation and vision.

Moving from a Linear Economy to a Circular Economy

Transition to Circular Economy: No Time to Stand Still

The shift to a circular economy requires intensive cooperation along the chemical value chain and across industries.

The Age Of Circularity

The Chemical Distribution Industry