Kraton Partners With SABIC to Supply Certified Renewable Styrenic Block Copolymers in Europe

Kraton, the world's leading sustainable producer of specialty polymers and high-value bio-based products derived from pine pulp by-products, is pleased to partner with SABIC, a globally diversified chemical company, located in France. Berre's production site produces ISCC PLUS certified renewable styrene block copolymers (SBC).

The new ISCC PLUS certified renewable CirKular+™ ReNew range expands Kraton's existing suite of solutions aimed at advancing the circular economy. With up to 70% certified renewable content, the ReNew range offers customers the opportunity to produce renewable products using the mass balance method and ISCC PLUS certification. Earlier this year, Kraton successfully produced the CirKular+ ReNew family of hydrogenated styrene block copolymers (HSBC) at its Berre plant using renewable butadiene from its SABICTRUCIRCLE™ portfolio of recycling solutions.

SABIC's certified renewable butadiene is derived from second-generation renewable feedstocks that are free of animal and palm oil, such as pine oil by-products produced during the processing of wood pulp in the paper industry, and do not compete directly with human food and animal feed production sources.

Based on cradle-to-door life cycle assessments, the company reduces CO2 emissions by an average of 4kg per kilogram of certified renewable butadiene compared to fossil-based virgin alternatives, from sourcing raw materials to producing monomers. In addition, each ton of this butadiene reduces fossil consumption by 80 percent.

“Craton America’s goal is to achieve a bioeconomy and play a role in driving a circular economy. Value chain collaboration is critical to progress towards a circular economy. Kraton America is delighted to be working with SABIC to use certified Regenerated butadiene. It allows us to develop and produce styrenic block copolymers with up to 70 percent certified renewable feedstock content,” said Holger Jung, Kraton Senior Vice President and President of the Polymer Division. This is an exciting innovation for our customers, as it can help reduce the carbon footprint of the fossil-based hydrogenated styrene block copolymers we produce at our Berre facility by up to 65%.”

Launched in 2020, the CirKular+ product range takes a holistic approach to the product life cycle to provide high-performance innovative solutions for the circular economy and plastic upcycling. These products help customers switch to using renewable materials, improve product performance, reduce carbon footprint, and allow for the uptake of recycled plastics.

Mohammed Al-Zahrani, Vice President, Chemicals, SABIC added: “SABIC’s sustainability approach runs through our organization and complements our commitment to helping our clients and their clients achieve their sustainability goals. Develop more sustainable solutions The solution requires collaboration across the value chain. Our partnership with Kraton in the United States to use renewable butadiene as a feedstock for Kraton polymers is another example of working together to achieve our shared goals and also Confirmation of the chemical industry's broad interest in developing sustainable solutions for the future. Following SABIC's earlier successful development of certified renewable and recyclable ethylene, propylene and benzene, we are pleased to introduce certified renewable butadiene Join our TRUCIRCLE portfolio."

SABIC's TRUCIRCLE portfolio covers a range of products and services including design for recyclability, mechanical recycling products, certified circular products recovered from waste plastic feedstocks, certified renewable products recovered from bio-based feedstocks, and plastic A closed-loop program for recycling into high-quality applications and helping prevent valuable waste plastics from becoming waste.

The International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS certification is a globally recognized system that provides traceability of recycled and renewable materials throughout the supply chain and verifies that companies meet social and environmental standards.