World's First Flexible Food Packaging with advanced Recycled OBP

SABIC and Scientex pioneer sustainable packaging with world's first flexible food pouch using recycled OBP. This eco-friendly BOPP film maintains performance of traditional PP, supporting Malaysian premium noodle brand without changing manufacturing processes.

SABIC collaborates with Scientex in the packaging value chain to enable the manufacturer to develop material for the world's first flexible food packaging made based on advanced recycled OBP, using SABIC® certified circular polypropylene (PP). The material is being used in a premium brand noodles packaging sold in Malaysia.

OBP is abandoned plastic waste found in areas up to 50 km inland from waterways that may eventually be washed into the ocean by rainfall, rivers or tides.

The OBP used in the project is recovered and converted to pyrolysis oil in an advanced recycling process. SABIC uses this oil as an alternative feedstock to produce certified circular PP polymer for further processing to BOPP film.

Scientex then manufactures and prints the noodle packs from this film. The entire chain from the management of the collected OBP to the final packaging is seamlessly accredited under established certification  regimes.

With a mass balance accounted OBP content of 30%, the certified circular PP from SABIC performs the same way as incumbent fossil-based virgin PP and could be used as a direct drop-in alternative in this flexible food packaging application, without the need to change its existing assets and processes.

SABIC's certified circular polymers form part of the company's TRUCIRCLE portfolio and services for circular solutions. The offering also includes design for recyclability, mechanically recycled products, certified renewable polymers from bio-based feedstock and closed loop initiatives to recycle plastic back into high quality applications and help prevent valuable used plastics from becoming waste.