INEOS and UPM Biofuels have announced a long-term agreement whereby INEOS will use UPM BioVerno, a sustainable raw material from a renewable residue of wood pulp processing, to produce bio-attributed polyolefins, according to an INEOS press release. These new sustainable materials will be used in a wide range of products from plastic food packaging to medical applications and pipes. Applications also include BIOVYNTM, the world’s first commercially available bio-attributed PVC, produced by INOVYN an INEOS Business.
“The agreement supports INEOS plans to make plastics from renewable raw materials, which contribute to a significant reduction in carbon emissions,” Rob Ingram, CEO INEOS Olefins & Polymers Europe North said in the press release. “We are pleased to be working with UPM Biofuels. They place fundamental importance on commitment to innovation and resource efficiency as well as social and environmental responsibility. This partnership in combination with RSB certification gives customers the confidence that they are choosing a high quality, sustainable product.”
The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) has certified each step in the process, starting from UPM Biofuels converting the wood-based residue (crude tall oil) into hydrocarbons, through to the final polymer.
The result of UPM Biofuels’ production is a bio-based cracker feedstock that does not compete with food production, according to the release. By replacing fossil based raw materials with UPM BioVerno in its cracker, the press release states that INEOS products will contribute to a significant reduction in carbon emissions.
Maiju Helin, Head of Sustainability and Market Development at UPM Biofuels said, “The collaboration with INEOS is a great step forward in the bio-economy. UPM BioVerno products now help to reduce climate and environmental impacts in an even broader range of applications. INEOS’s and UPM Biofuels’ commitment to RSB certification creates a strong common ground to build on.”
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