Sabic, a global leader in the chemical industry, is showcasing its ground-breaking range of sustainable solutions – designed to address some of the planet’s urgent sustainability and societal challenges – at K 2019 in Düsseldorf, Germany from 16-23 October.
Under the theme of ‘Making a World of Difference Together’, Sabic is presenting, in partnership with its customers, six dynamic installations which bring to life how its solutions can deliver a more sustainable future and circular economy.
“Today, more than ever, industry needs to respond to the world’s environmental and societal challenges by embedding sustainability and re-use into its very DNA,” says Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh, Executive Vice President for Petrochemicals.
“Sustainability is a core value at Sabic, and the pioneering material solutions we are showcasing at this year’s K-Show are testament to our determination and our customers’ commitments. The goal is to bring the very best minds and technologies together to create genuinely sustainable, long-term, reliable and cost-effective answers to modern-day challenges,” added Mr. Al-Fageeh.
The first of Sabic’s booth installations is a five-meter tall, high-impact 3D LED light installation which serves as a visual point-of-reference for the booth within the exhibition hall.
The other experiential installations reflect key sustainability areas for Sabic, including automotive and mass transportation, packaging, and building & construction.
Highlights in the personal care & healthcare and the consumer goods & appliances areas feature innovative products developed by customers using Sabic’s latest circular material solutions.
Automotive & Transportation Solutions
With vehicle weight reduction linked to lower CO2 emissions and improved fuel economy or extended electric range, automakers continue demanding lighter construction materials that will not compromise high strength and performance. One such manufacturer is Land Rover, who engaged with Sabic in the early development stages of its new 2020 Defender and incorporated Sabic’s thermoplastic solutions in over 70 applications. Described by Land Rover as “featuring our toughest materials yet,” the new Defender at Sabic’s stand lets visitors experience first-hand how its materials and engineering support have helped advance the design and manufacture of the vehicle.
An additional feature in the automotive area is the structural lightweighting capabilities of a new engineering thermoplastic material from Sabic – XENOY™ HTX resin – which can be used as a metal replacement solution in new safety applications, including side rockers designed to offer protection for battery modules mounted in the underbody of electric vehicles.
Packaging Solutions
The use of plastics in packaging provides many benefits, such as the protection of goods and extending the shelf life of food. In terms of sustainability, plastic packaging plays a crucial role in reducing waste in the global food supply, while it must also comply with more stringent food and consumer safety as well as environmental regulations.
Sabic is at the forefront of developing innovative solutions to enable the circular re-use and recycling of packaging through pioneering processes and key partner collaborations. Working in tandem with brand owners and customers, Sabic has developed four new circular solutions for packaging which are highlighted at the show, including the company’s flagship “certified circular polymers” created from chemically recycled mixed plastic waste. Under Sabic’s newly launched Trucircle initiative, other advanced circular products to be featured include:
- Certified renewable polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP)
- Polymer resins created from mechanically recycled polymers
- Products designed to minimize waste and encourage recycling, such as Sabic’s BOPE polymer – a new product designed for producing biaxially oriented polyethylene (BOPE) films that can be easily recycled in multilayer tenter frame processes due to their mono-material PE structure
Sabic is unveiling food packaging solutions developed by its brand collaborators using certified circular polymers. Unilever’s new Magnum ice cream tub – the world’s first food brand to be made from recycled plastic packaging from Sabic’s newly developed certified circular impact polypropylene for frozen foods; along with the Knorr® bouillon powder containers for professional kitchens made from Sabic® FLOWPACT PP impact copolymer. Together with Vinventions, leader in wine closure design and engineering, Sabic will reveal a fully sustainable and certified circular BlueLine wine closures prototype. And a stand-up pouch from Walki is on display which features a food contact barrier layer made from Sabic’s circular materials.
