The new renewable and recycled raw material, called Nest RE, will help address the end-of-life related challenges of polymer and chemical industries
Neste RE helps to replace virgin fossil feedstock in the production of plastics and chemicals for a wide range of applications from toys to healthcare. (Credit: Neste)
Finnish oil refining and marketing company Neste has introduced a new renewable and recycled raw material, which enables to replace virgin fossil feedstock in the production of plastics and chemicals for a wide range of applications.
Dubbed as Neste RE, the new renewable and recycled raw material is designed to address the end-of-life related challenges of polymer and chemical industries, in addition to tackling climate change by minimising the use of virgin fossil resources.
The new sustainable material is suitable for use in various plastic applications ranging from sports gear to toys, as well as in sensitive applications such as medical equipment.
As a drop-in solution, Neste RE is compatible with existing polymers and chemicals production infrastructures. It is available t customers across polymer and chemical value chain that focus on producing products with bio-based and recycled content.
The renewable components of the new raw material can be produced from waste and residue oils, and fats and sustainably-produced vegetable oils.
This recycled component is generated using chemically-recycled plastic waste, which otherwise cannot be recycled mechanically such as coloured, multilayer or multi-material packaging.
Neste renewable polymers and chemicals vice president Lars Börger said: “We need to take drastic action to achieve the necessary change towards a circular economy in materials. With Neste RE, we combine the best of renewable and recycled materials, to serve as a sustainable feedstock alternative for the polymers and chemicals sectors.”
In 2019, Neste partnered with LyondellBasell for the production of commercial-scale volumes of renewable and bio-based polypropylene, which is claimed to be the first of its kind across the world.
In March this year, Neste has joined forces with Borealis for the production of renewable polypropylene with renewable propane at a propane dehydrogenation facility.
Clariant added a complete range of additives based on Neste RE, said the company.
Neste, along with Covestro, is boosting the use of sustainable raw materials in plastics production, specifically in the production of polycarbonates.
Neste also entered into a collaboration with Jockey to develop the market for rigid packaging from sustainable renewable and recycled materials for food and non-food applications.
In October, Neste, Unilever and Recycling Technologies have announced a collaboration to test and validate systems for chemical recycling of waste plastics.