To further explore the opportunities and challenges of recycling, circular economy and carbon neutrality, the 3rd Edition CHINAPLAS x CPRJ Plastics Recycling & Circular Economy Conference and Showcase was grandly held today (7 Sept, 2022) at Radisson Collection Hotel, Yangtze Shanghai, China.  

The 3rd Edition CHINAPLAS x CPRJ Plastics Recycling & Circular Economy Conference and Showcase was held today.

The conference is hosted by CHINAPLAS and Adsale Plastics Network, and organized by China Plastic & Rubber Journal (CPRJ) & CPRJ International. Supporters include China Plastic Recycling Association of CRRA, LOVERE of Shanghai Yuekun Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., Meituan, Green Recycling Plastic Supply Chain Group, PKG family, Shanghai World of Packaging (swop), GIZ GmbH, and more.

Scan the QR code to view the photo album.

Click HERE to watch the video clip. 

Professionals and experts from leading enterprises, brands and organizations shared and discussed with the audience on many hot topics in the morning session and three parallel sub-forums. Check out the following highlights of the presentations.

Morning Session

"The work of plastic pollution control in China is deeply advancing." - Kai Zhao, Executive Vice President of China Association of Circular Economy.

In his welcome remarks, Kai Zhao stated that the work of plastic pollution control in China is deeply advancing. Meanwhile, the industry has agreed to take responsibility for carrying out pollution control projects within the whole chain.

The participation of different enterprises here shows how the plastics industry chain supports the implementation of the "14th Five-Year Plan" policy, he commented.

"Improved plastic waste value chain and transformation towards circular economy can be expected." - Chengyang Liang, Project Manager, GIZ Environment and Circular Economy.

Chengyang Liang shared her understanding of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). According to Plastics Europe, global use of plastics increased from almost zero around 1950 to 359 million tons in 2018, with 61.8 million tons in Europe alone. The EU emits 13.4 million tons of CO2 each year due to plastic production, which is equivalent to 20% of the overall EU chemical industry emissions.

As part of the new European Green Deal, the European Commission proposes to raise the 2030 emission reduction target by at least 55% and achieve climate neutrality by 2050, she stated. These goals have been subject to the European Climate Law. Next, new business models, improved plastic waste value chain and transformation towards circular economy can be expected.

"SABIC has been working with value chain partners to develop circular solutions, enabling new plastic ecosystems." - Dr. Ying Na, Senior Manager of Greater China Market Development, SABIC Petrochemicals, SABIC.

Dr. Ying Na said that the company strives to follow the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of United Nations, including the objectives across resource efficiency, innovative and sustainable solutions, climate change and energy, circular economy and management.

Through its TRUCIRCLE portfolio and services, SABIC has been working with value chain partners to develop circular solutions, enabling new plastic ecosystems.

The TRUCIRCLE portfolio consists of mechanically recycled products, certified chemically recycled products, certified renewable products; while the TRUCIRCLE services include customization of recyclable materials and close-the-loop initiatives.

Concerning the current challenges of recycled materials, Dr. Na Ying mentioned that it is important to maintain consistent odor, color, physical properties, processibility and product safety of PCR materials, so as to meet high quality requirements.

"MARS will be committed to exploring application potentials of new materials." - Vicky Zong, Sustainable Packaging Head, APAC Sustainability, MARS.

Vicky Zong introduced the company’s Next Generation Sustainability Plan - Building a Green Earth with Martians. She also told that MARS will be committed to exploring application potentials of new materials, designing packaging in accordance with circular guidelines and avoiding use of packaging which is unnecessary and not eco-friendly.

Further, the company will support the establishment of plastic packaging policies and regulations, set up pilot projects for sustainable plastic packaging and hold different kinds of activities to promote sustainable packaging.

“Carbon emission management is no longer just a national responsibility, but a mission that every enterprise should stand up and work together.” - Gao Dandan, Business Director, Star Plastics

Gao Dandan shared the applications of ocean plastics in her presentation. She emphasized that carbon emission management is no longer just a national responsibility, but a mission that every enterprise and even individuals should stand up and work together.

As said, effective monitoring of corporate carbon footprint and product carbon emissions have been included in the strategic planning of STAR Plastics. Gao Dandan explained that the company will be able to effectively manage and help achieve carbon neutrality through quantitative data. New “green” factories are also being planned, which will use green energy to replace more electricity.

Besides, in order to help customers achieve sustainability goals, Star Plastics offers a variety of grades with different percentages of certified recycled plastics, including pre-consumer, post-consumer, electronics, ocean plastics and bio-based materials.

"We focus on the development of recycling technology and green materials." - Storm Ma, Founder of Ningbo Topcentral New Material Co., Ltd.

Storm Ma presented that the company focuses on the development of recycling technology and green materials, including PCR certified plastics, PCR modified plastics, PCR zero-carbon materials, and bio-based and degradable materials.

He said that Topcircle PCR PC (Polycarbonate), for example, is manufactured by pre-treatment, sorting, crushing, washing and processing. Under strict quality control, Topcircle PCR PC has the advantages of high purity, high transparency, high thermal stability and zero carbon. Its transmittance is ≥82%, and it has received carbon neutrality certificate.

The company’s recycled materials have already been used in packaging, luggage, electric toothbrush handle and toys, he added.

At the Summit Forum held in the morning, the moderator Arnold Wang, Head of Shi Chai Environment, together with Kai Zhao, Executive Vice President of China Association of Circular Economy, Victor Wang, Secretary General of Green Recycled Plastics Supply Chain, and Prof Seeram Ramakrishna, Fellow of UK Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng), discussed the topic of "Whole Life Cycle and Green Design of Plastic Products from the Perspective of Carbon Neutrality".

Parallel Sub-Forum: Recycling process and value chain co-construction

"Vitasoy uses the design approach to promote the circular economy." - Tao Gu, Director of Sustainability, Vitasoy International Holdings Limited.

Tao Gu emphasized that Vitasoy continues to adhere to the path of plant-based sustainable development. From February 2021, Vitasoy has stopped using PVC in its packaging in the Chinese market.

According to her, under the guidance of the Packaging Management Framework, Vitasoy uses the “design” approach to promote the circular economy and help the recycling of packaging waste. At present, the company adopts two recycling processes: paper-plastic-aluminum separation and color board processing. Besides, it is one of the first enterprises to use the Beverage Paper-based Composite Packaging Recycling Label.

"The recycled content of rPET continues to climb."- Flora Song, Business Development Manager, EREMA Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen Ges.m.b.H

Flora Song introduced the latest version of the bottle-to-bottle solution VACUN2ITE from EREMA. “The recycled content of rPET continues to climb, and EREMA strictly follows the food contact requirements,” she remarked.

Compared with the previous version, the melt filtration of VACUN2ITE is as low as 32μm, the color value and clarity is further improved, and it has high stability with low energy consumption and safe operation. As introduced, VACUN2ITE uses easy-to-control heating processing, all processes happen under high temperature, vacuum or nitrogen environment for minimal N2 consumption and considerable energy savings.

"In view of the pain points of plastics recycling, the future development trend of intelligent sorting equipment is proposed." - Monica Mo, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Guangdong DataBeyond Technology Co., Ltd.

Monica Mo shared the best combination and development trends of optical sorters in her presentation. She remarked that the company’s AI optical sorters from the FASToAi series have a wide range of applications through different combination.

For example, the FASToAi-Spec hyperspectral integrated machine can divide plastics into hundreds of materials, and realize the sorting of mixed plastic materials. Meanwhile, the FASToAi-NIR three-dimensional integrated machine can sort PET and non-PET (PP, PE, PVC, PC, etc.), as well as identify the color and material of mixed plastic bottles.

"Guolong ensures the supply of raw materials through self-built recycling system, laying a solid foundation for the expansion of renewable resource projects." - Daoming Chen, Vice President, Guangxi Wuzhou Guolong Recyclable Resources Development Co., Ltd.

Daoming Chen’s presentation topic was “Realizing High-value Recycling of Plastics by International Standards”. He said Guolong ensures the supply of raw materials through a self-built recycling system which lays a solid foundation for the expansion of the company’s renewable resource projects.

As introduced, the main projects of Guolong include: PET (mineral water bottles, beverage bottles), HDPE (daily chemical bottles, beverage bottles), PP (packaging boxes, beverage cups), ABS (engineering plastics, home appliances and automotive plastics, etc.). After all of the four projects have been commissioned, the company can process 530,000 tons of waste plastics and produce 400,000 tons of recycled plastics per year.

"The submission requirements and approval processes of the US FDA and EU EFSA are similar." - Dr. Rainbow Zhang, General Manager, Intertek Testing Services Ltd., Shanghai.

Intertek provides comprehensive and professional services for plastic recycling enterprises that need to obtain the approval of the US FDA and the EU EFSA. The submission requirements and approval processes of the US FDA and EU EFSA are similar, Dr. Rainbow Zhang explained.

Both organizations emphasize source control and no contamination in the recycling process, and raw materials need to meet the compliance requirements. Nevertheless, they have different requirements on monitoring, labeling and documents.

Parallel Sub-Forum: Recycling plastics and low carbon economy

"The aim of chemical recycling is to reduce secondary pollution while improving the quality of recycled products." - Yifan Wu, Project manager of China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation.

He explained the progress and trend of chemical recycling technology. The existing chemical recycling technologies include cracking, pyrolysis, catalytic cracking and PET bottle-to-bottle.

Besides, the chemical recycling technologies under development include microwave pyrolysis of waste plastics for monomerization, mild cracking of waste PE to produce oil and wax and anaerobic pyrolysis recycling of carbon fiber composite.

Looking ahead, he added that the aim of chemical recycling is to reduce secondary pollution while improving the quality of recycled products. In this way, the competitiveness of the recycled products will be increased.

"PepsiCo has launched a plan for sustainable food packaging in China." - Johnny Zhao, Associate Director, R&D Packaging, Greater China, PepsiCo Asia R&D Center Co., Ltd.

Johnny Zhao emphasized that the company makes a positive difference for the planet by leading the development of a more sustainable, renewable and compatible food and beverage system.

PepsiCo has also launched a plan for sustainable food packaging in China, he stated. By reducing the use of plastics, adopting more environmentally friendly inks and creating recyclable flexible packaging for the Chinese market, the company is accelerating circular economy. In addition, it will source key crops and raw materials in a sustainable way.

“LyondellBasell offers a range of new sustainable solutions under the brand Circulen.” - Chen Wang, Sustainability Business Development Director, LyondellBasell Polyolefin (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

The presentation topic of Chen Wang was “Unlock the Circular Potential of Plastics”. He introduced that LyondellBasell offers a range of new sustainable solutions under the brand Circulen: CirculenRecover, CirculenRevive, CirculenRenew polymers.

CirculenRecover is a polymer produced from plastic waste through mechanical recycling process. CirculenRevive polymer is produced by an advanced (molecular) recycling process which converts plastic waste into raw materials to produce a wide range of new polymers. CirculenRene is a polymer made from renewable feedstock that advances the circular economy through renewable feedstock.

“AudiaFlex is a more sustainable TPE solution.” - Richard Chen, Market Development Manager, Asia Consumer Market, Audia Elastomers

Richard Chen introduced a more sustainable TPE solution, AudiaFlex. As introduced, the recycled grade of this elastomer contains 50% PC/OP and 70% PI. According to ASTM D6866, the biomaterial content of the bio-based grades is 10-90%. All grades comply with relevant FDA regulations, can be customized and are traceable.

"Covestro utilizes alternative raw materials which the proportion of the circular biomass feedstock can reach 72%." - Roy Cheung, Global Head of Sustainability Solutions, Polycarbonates, Covestro (Shanghai) Investment Co., Ltd.

He pointed out that the company utilizes alternative raw materials which the proportion of the circular biomass feedstock can reach 72%. This can lead to a 50% reduction of fossil raw material consumption, helping achieving zero carbon footprint.

Through close-loop recycling and circular design, the recycling and reuse rates of recycled materials of the company are improved, he said. Strict quality control steps and specifications are carried out throughout the recycling process to guarantee the high quality of recycled PC.

"Wanhua is investing in conducting new energy projects to strengthen its carbon footprint management." - Siyuan Li, Product Manager of Wanhua Chemical Performance Polymers Business Unit at Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd.

Wanhua is investing in conducting new energy projects to strengthen its carbon footprint management, he told. Through waste heat recycling, hydrogen chloride reusing, solid waste treatment, wastewater management and green packaging innovation, energy consumption and emissions can be lessen.

He further introduced the company’s low-carbon product series. For example, the recycled materials such as rPC and PU materials, degradable materials such as PBAT, PLA and PBS, and bio-based materials such as polyether polyols, TPU and water-based resins.

"Lenovo has created a value system to boost the development of circular economy with intelligent technology." - Vicky Gao, Advisory Engineer Lenovo Recycled Material Strategy and Practices, Lenovo.

Vicky Gao pinpointed that the company highlights the importance of the transformation from a linear economic model to a circular one. Lenovo has created a value system to boost the development of circular economy with intelligent technology. The concept is to address waste and pollution issues by optimizing product design, lowering resource consumption and allowing product recycling.

Vicky Gao continued that the company’s product development focuses on the use of environmentally friendly materials. It is expected that by 2025, 100% of its PC products will contain materials made from PCC components, enabling 300 million pounds of PCC to be reused.

Parallel Sub-Forum: Recycling, high-value reuse and green design

"If China's rPET bottles are treated by a standardized cleaning and recycling process, the risk is controllable." – Marco Zhong, Director, National Reference Laboratory for Food Contact Material (Guangdong).

The food-grade high-value application of recycled plastics is an important starting point for solving plastic waste pollution and developing the circular economy, said Marco Zhong in his presentation. He also pointed out that if China's rPET bottles are treated by a standardized cleaning and recycling process, the risk is controllable and can be safely used in the production of food packaging. It is already feasible.

Besides, he added that China has made positive progress in scientific research and safety assessment of food-grade rPET. The scientific and technological support in the area is relatively sufficient. However, China is still lagging behind foreign countries in terms of legislative progress and industry development. There is urgency for the country to catch up.

"ExxonMobil’s product portfolio shows that the company is facilitating sustainable development." - Amanda Li, North Asia Rigids & Recycling Application Development Team Lead at ExxonMobil Chemical. 

She presented ExxonMobil’s product portfolio to show that the company is facilitating sustainable development. Taking Vistamaxx performance polymers as an example, they are semi-crystalline copolymers with tunable amorphous content and are compatible with other polyolefinic materials.

They can expand the use potential of plastics and can be used in the following processing processes, including injection molding, polypropylene, cast film, blow molding, thermoforming and extrusion molding.

“There is a need to rethink the fundamentals of sustainable packaging.” - Tony Sun, Head of Regional Marketing, Packaging, Asia North, Borouge

In his presentation, Tony Sun pointed out that there is a need to rethink the fundamentals of sustainable packaging - optimum reduction of unnecessary packaging, better design for recyclability, efficient packaging, reduction of carbon footprint (direct + transportation) and increase of renewable or recycled content.

He also introduced Borouge's recyclable mono-material, PCR, heavy-duty bag closed loop (EPR) and renewable polyolefin solutions, as well as the agricultural film recycling pilots and community-reaching sustainability programs.

"In response to the traditional recycling model of waste plastics, INTOP proposes a model of point, station and field." - Wendy Zeng, Marketing Manager, Guangdong INTOP Industrial Holding Co., Ltd.

In response to the traditional recycling model of waste plastics, INTOP proposes a model of point, station and field, which means from recyclable waste collection points, transfer stations, sorting center (packaging field), and finally to the waste utilization enterprises.

Wendy Zeng emphasized the importance of a traceable recycling system and triple checking in the recycling process, including intelligent optical sorting, robotic sorting and manual assisted sorting. She also remarked that standardized operations can ensure the stable output of AAA pure white bottle bricks.

"P&G achieves the target of zero-emission target by 2040 from five aspects." - Joanna Zhou, Director, Sustainability, P&G Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Joanna Zhou shared the plastics recycling innovation solutions of P&G. The company achieves the target of zero-emission target by 2040 from five aspects: materials and packaging, company operations, logistics and transportation, product use, and product end-of-life.

For packaging, P&G uses Full Paper Bag that has certain plastic strength while taking into account the aesthetics. In terms of e-commerce packaging, P&G has developed the “air capsule” that uses mono-material for lighter weight and higher circularity. It is also the first “Double Easy Recycling” certified product for express packaging in China.

"Fully biodegradable and mono-material will be the main technological trends for plastic films/sheets and packaging." - Liming Wei, General Manager, Shanghai Royal New Materials Technology Co., Ltd.

In the presentation, Liming Wei said the company believes that fully biodegradable and mono-material will be the main technological trends for plastic films/sheets and packaging.

For example, in bottling applications, it is a trend to use the same material for the bottle body and the plastic film label or to use plastic-free film labels. The use of fully biodegradable materials to replace traditional plastics (PP, PE) and paper-based materials will be the main trend in applications such disposable lunch boxes.

Special events to demonstrate PCR and mono-material applications

Apart from presentations and exhibit showcase, two special events in response to the increasing enthusiasm about PCR and mono-material technology was conducted.

Henkel and Berry were invited to jointly create an environmentally friendly daily chemical packaging sample, demonstrating a successful practice for the industry.

The bottle made from PCR HDPE variegated material and equipped with mono-material plastic pump.

The Schwarzkopf bottle is made from 30% PCR HDPE variegated material and equipped with Berry’s mono-material plastic pump. It breaks the limitation that variegated HDPE bottles can only be downcycling.

This is also Henkel's first application of bottle-to-bottle recycling and reuse of variegated HDPE in the Chinese market.

The co-branded silk scarf provided by ATRenew and Meituan.

In addition, ATRenew and Meituan collaborated to launch an activity that visitors can exchange two waste bottles for the co-branded eco-friendly silk scarf made from recycled materials. A mini recycling line of Meituan was also on stage.

Concurrent solutions and products showcase

In addition, about 40 exhibitors showcased their innovative products and solutions concurrently, including the following.

SABIC

Star Advanced Materials (Shandong) Co., Ltd.

Borouge

Covestro (Shanghai) Investment Co., Ltd.

Ningbo Topcentral New Material Co., Ltd.

Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd.

LyondellBasell Polyolefin (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

ExxonMobil Chemical

WACKER

Audia Elastomers

Intertek Testing Services Ltd., Shanghai.

Guangdong INTOP Industrial Holding Co., Ltd.

Shanghai Royal New Materials Technology Co., Ltd.

To further explore the opportunities and challenges of recycling, circular economy and carbon neutrality, the 3rd Edition CHINAPLAS x CPRJ Plastics Recycling & Circular Economy Conference and Showcase was grandly held today (7 Sept, 2022) at Radisson Collection Hotel, Yangtze Shanghai, China.  

The 3rd Edition CHINAPLAS x CPRJ Plastics Recycling & Circular Economy Conference and Showcase was held today.

The conference is hosted by CHINAPLAS and Adsale Plastics Network, and organized by China Plastic & Rubber Journal (CPRJ) & CPRJ International. Supporters include China Plastic Recycling Association of CRRA, LOVERE of Shanghai Yuekun Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., Meituan, Green Recycling Plastic Supply Chain Group, PKG family, Shanghai World of Packaging (swop), GIZ GmbH, and more.

Scan the QR code to view the photo album.

Click HERE to watch the video clip. 

Professionals and experts from leading enterprises, brands and organizations shared and discussed with the audience on many hot topics in the morning session and three parallel sub-forums. Check out the following highlights of the presentations.

Morning Session

"The work of plastic pollution control in China is deeply advancing." - Kai Zhao, Executive Vice President of China Association of Circular Economy.

In his welcome remarks, Kai Zhao stated that the work of plastic pollution control in China is deeply advancing. Meanwhile, the industry has agreed to take responsibility for carrying out pollution control projects within the whole chain.

The participation of different enterprises here shows how the plastics industry chain supports the implementation of the "14th Five-Year Plan" policy, he commented.

"Improved plastic waste value chain and transformation towards circular economy can be expected." - Chengyang Liang, Project Manager, GIZ Environment and Circular Economy.

Chengyang Liang shared her understanding of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). According to Plastics Europe, global use of plastics increased from almost zero around 1950 to 359 million tons in 2018, with 61.8 million tons in Europe alone. The EU emits 13.4 million tons of CO2 each year due to plastic production, which is equivalent to 20% of the overall EU chemical industry emissions.

As part of the new European Green Deal, the European Commission proposes to raise the 2030 emission reduction target by at least 55% and achieve climate neutrality by 2050, she stated. These goals have been subject to the European Climate Law. Next, new business models, improved plastic waste value chain and transformation towards circular economy can be expected.

"SABIC has been working with value chain partners to develop circular solutions, enabling new plastic ecosystems." - Dr. Ying Na, Senior Manager of Greater China Market Development, SABIC Petrochemicals, SABIC.

Dr. Ying Na said that the company strives to follow the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of United Nations, including the objectives across resource efficiency, innovative and sustainable solutions, climate change and energy, circular economy and management.

Through its TRUCIRCLE portfolio and services, SABIC has been working with value chain partners to develop circular solutions, enabling new plastic ecosystems.

The TRUCIRCLE portfolio consists of mechanically recycled products, certified chemically recycled products, certified renewable products; while the TRUCIRCLE services include customization of recyclable materials and close-the-loop initiatives.

Concerning the current challenges of recycled materials, Dr. Na Ying mentioned that it is important to maintain consistent odor, color, physical properties, processibility and product safety of PCR materials, so as to meet high quality requirements.

"MARS will be committed to exploring application potentials of new materials." - Vicky Zong, Sustainable Packaging Head, APAC Sustainability, MARS.

Vicky Zong introduced the company’s Next Generation Sustainability Plan - Building a Green Earth with Martians. She also told that MARS will be committed to exploring application potentials of new materials, designing packaging in accordance with circular guidelines and avoiding use of packaging which is unnecessary and not eco-friendly.

Further, the company will support the establishment of plastic packaging policies and regulations, set up pilot projects for sustainable plastic packaging and hold different kinds of activities to promote sustainable packaging.

“Carbon emission management is no longer just a national responsibility, but a mission that every enterprise should stand up and work together.” - Gao Dandan, Business Director, Star Plastics

Gao Dandan shared the applications of ocean plastics in her presentation. She emphasized that carbon emission management is no longer just a national responsibility, but a mission that every enterprise and even individuals should stand up and work together.

As said, effective monitoring of corporate carbon footprint and product carbon emissions have been included in the strategic planning of STAR Plastics. Gao Dandan explained that the company will be able to effectively manage and help achieve carbon neutrality through quantitative data. New “green” factories are also being planned, which will use green energy to replace more electricity.

Besides, in order to help customers achieve sustainability goals, Star Plastics offers a variety of grades with different percentages of certified recycled plastics, including pre-consumer, post-consumer, electronics, ocean plastics and bio-based materials.

"We focus on the development of recycling technology and green materials." - Storm Ma, Founder of Ningbo Topcentral New Material Co., Ltd.

Storm Ma presented that the company focuses on the development of recycling technology and green materials, including PCR certified plastics, PCR modified plastics, PCR zero-carbon materials, and bio-based and degradable materials.

He said that Topcircle PCR PC (Polycarbonate), for example, is manufactured by pre-treatment, sorting, crushing, washing and processing. Under strict quality control, Topcircle PCR PC has the advantages of high purity, high transparency, high thermal stability and zero carbon. Its transmittance is ≥82%, and it has received carbon neutrality certificate.

The company’s recycled materials have already been used in packaging, luggage, electric toothbrush handle and toys, he added.

At the Summit Forum held in the morning, the moderator Arnold Wang, Head of Shi Chai Environment, together with Kai Zhao, Executive Vice President of China Association of Circular Economy, Victor Wang, Secretary General of Green Recycled Plastics Supply Chain, and Prof Seeram Ramakrishna, Fellow of UK Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng), discussed the topic of "Whole Life Cycle and Green Design of Plastic Products from the Perspective of Carbon Neutrality".

Parallel Sub-Forum: Recycling process and value chain co-construction

"Vitasoy uses the design approach to promote the circular economy." - Tao Gu, Director of Sustainability, Vitasoy International Holdings Limited.

Tao Gu emphasized that Vitasoy continues to adhere to the path of plant-based sustainable development. From February 2021, Vitasoy has stopped using PVC in its packaging in the Chinese market.

According to her, under the guidance of the Packaging Management Framework, Vitasoy uses the “design” approach to promote the circular economy and help the recycling of packaging waste. At present, the company adopts two recycling processes: paper-plastic-aluminum separation and color board processing. Besides, it is one of the first enterprises to use the Beverage Paper-based Composite Packaging Recycling Label.

"The recycled content of rPET continues to climb."- Flora Song, Business Development Manager, EREMA Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen Ges.m.b.H

Flora Song introduced the latest version of the bottle-to-bottle solution VACUN2ITE from EREMA. “The recycled content of rPET continues to climb, and EREMA strictly follows the food contact requirements,” she remarked.

Compared with the previous version, the melt filtration of VACUN2ITE is as low as 32μm, the color value and clarity is further improved, and it has high stability with low energy consumption and safe operation. As introduced, VACUN2ITE uses easy-to-control heating processing, all processes happen under high temperature, vacuum or nitrogen environment for minimal N2 consumption and considerable energy savings.

"In view of the pain points of plastics recycling, the future development trend of intelligent sorting equipment is proposed." - Monica Mo, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Guangdong DataBeyond Technology Co., Ltd.

Monica Mo shared the best combination and development trends of optical sorters in her presentation. She remarked that the company’s AI optical sorters from the FASToAi series have a wide range of applications through different combination.

For example, the FASToAi-Spec hyperspectral integrated machine can divide plastics into hundreds of materials, and realize the sorting of mixed plastic materials. Meanwhile, the FASToAi-NIR three-dimensional integrated machine can sort PET and non-PET (PP, PE, PVC, PC, etc.), as well as identify the color and material of mixed plastic bottles.

"Guolong ensures the supply of raw materials through self-built recycling system, laying a solid foundation for the expansion of renewable resource projects." - Daoming Chen, Vice President, Guangxi Wuzhou Guolong Recyclable Resources Development Co., Ltd.

Daoming Chen’s presentation topic was “Realizing High-value Recycling of Plastics by International Standards”. He said Guolong ensures the supply of raw materials through a self-built recycling system which lays a solid foundation for the expansion of the company’s renewable resource projects.

As introduced, the main projects of Guolong include: PET (mineral water bottles, beverage bottles), HDPE (daily chemical bottles, beverage bottles), PP (packaging boxes, beverage cups), ABS (engineering plastics, home appliances and automotive plastics, etc.). After all of the four projects have been commissioned, the company can process 530,000 tons of waste plastics and produce 400,000 tons of recycled plastics per year.

"The submission requirements and approval processes of the US FDA and EU EFSA are similar." - Dr. Rainbow Zhang, General Manager, Intertek Testing Services Ltd., Shanghai.

Intertek provides comprehensive and professional services for plastic recycling enterprises that need to obtain the approval of the US FDA and the EU EFSA. The submission requirements and approval processes of the US FDA and EU EFSA are similar, Dr. Rainbow Zhang explained.

Both organizations emphasize source control and no contamination in the recycling process, and raw materials need to meet the compliance requirements. Nevertheless, they have different requirements on monitoring, labeling and documents.

Parallel Sub-Forum: Recycling plastics and low carbon economy

"The aim of chemical recycling is to reduce secondary pollution while improving the quality of recycled products." - Yifan Wu, Project manager of China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation.

He explained the progress and trend of chemical recycling technology. The existing chemical recycling technologies include cracking, pyrolysis, catalytic cracking and PET bottle-to-bottle.

Besides, the chemical recycling technologies under development include microwave pyrolysis of waste plastics for monomerization, mild cracking of waste PE to produce oil and wax and anaerobic pyrolysis recycling of carbon fiber composite.

Looking ahead, he added that the aim of chemical recycling is to reduce secondary pollution while improving the quality of recycled products. In this way, the competitiveness of the recycled products will be increased.

"PepsiCo has launched a plan for sustainable food packaging in China." - Johnny Zhao, Associate Director, R&D Packaging, Greater China, PepsiCo Asia R&D Center Co., Ltd.

Johnny Zhao emphasized that the company makes a positive difference for the planet by leading the development of a more sustainable, renewable and compatible food and beverage system.

PepsiCo has also launched a plan for sustainable food packaging in China, he stated. By reducing the use of plastics, adopting more environmentally friendly inks and creating recyclable flexible packaging for the Chinese market, the company is accelerating circular economy. In addition, it will source key crops and raw materials in a sustainable way.

“LyondellBasell offers a range of new sustainable solutions under the brand Circulen.” - Chen Wang, Sustainability Business Development Director, LyondellBasell Polyolefin (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

The presentation topic of Chen Wang was “Unlock the Circular Potential of Plastics”. He introduced that LyondellBasell offers a range of new sustainable solutions under the brand Circulen: CirculenRecover, CirculenRevive, CirculenRenew polymers.

CirculenRecover is a polymer produced from plastic waste through mechanical recycling process. CirculenRevive polymer is produced by an advanced (molecular) recycling process which converts plastic waste into raw materials to produce a wide range of new polymers. CirculenRene is a polymer made from renewable feedstock that advances the circular economy through renewable feedstock.

“AudiaFlex is a more sustainable TPE solution.” - Richard Chen, Market Development Manager, Asia Consumer Market, Audia Elastomers

Richard Chen introduced a more sustainable TPE solution, AudiaFlex. As introduced, the recycled grade of this elastomer contains 50% PC/OP and 70% PI. According to ASTM D6866, the biomaterial content of the bio-based grades is 10-90%. All grades comply with relevant FDA regulations, can be customized and are traceable.

"Covestro utilizes alternative raw materials which the proportion of the circular biomass feedstock can reach 72%." - Roy Cheung, Global Head of Sustainability Solutions, Polycarbonates, Covestro (Shanghai) Investment Co., Ltd.

He pointed out that the company utilizes alternative raw materials which the proportion of the circular biomass feedstock can reach 72%. This can lead to a 50% reduction of fossil raw material consumption, helping achieving zero carbon footprint.

Through close-loop recycling and circular design, the recycling and reuse rates of recycled materials of the company are improved, he said. Strict quality control steps and specifications are carried out throughout the recycling process to guarantee the high quality of recycled PC.

"Wanhua is investing in conducting new energy projects to strengthen its carbon footprint management." - Siyuan Li, Product Manager of Wanhua Chemical Performance Polymers Business Unit at Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd.

Wanhua is investing in conducting new energy projects to strengthen its carbon footprint management, he told. Through waste heat recycling, hydrogen chloride reusing, solid waste treatment, wastewater management and green packaging innovation, energy consumption and emissions can be lessen.

He further introduced the company’s low-carbon product series. For example, the recycled materials such as rPC and PU materials, degradable materials such as PBAT, PLA and PBS, and bio-based materials such as polyether polyols, TPU and water-based resins.

"Lenovo has created a value system to boost the development of circular economy with intelligent technology." - Vicky Gao, Advisory Engineer Lenovo Recycled Material Strategy and Practices, Lenovo.

Vicky Gao pinpointed that the company highlights the importance of the transformation from a linear economic model to a circular one. Lenovo has created a value system to boost the development of circular economy with intelligent technology. The concept is to address waste and pollution issues by optimizing product design, lowering resource consumption and allowing product recycling.

Vicky Gao continued that the company’s product development focuses on the use of environmentally friendly materials. It is expected that by 2025, 100% of its PC products will contain materials made from PCC components, enabling 300 million pounds of PCC to be reused.

Parallel Sub-Forum: Recycling, high-value reuse and green design

"If China's rPET bottles are treated by a standardized cleaning and recycling process, the risk is controllable." – Marco Zhong, Director, National Reference Laboratory for Food Contact Material (Guangdong).

The food-grade high-value application of recycled plastics is an important starting point for solving plastic waste pollution and developing the circular economy, said Marco Zhong in his presentation. He also pointed out that if China's rPET bottles are treated by a standardized cleaning and recycling process, the risk is controllable and can be safely used in the production of food packaging. It is already feasible.

Besides, he added that China has made positive progress in scientific research and safety assessment of food-grade rPET. The scientific and technological support in the area is relatively sufficient. However, China is still lagging behind foreign countries in terms of legislative progress and industry development. There is urgency for the country to catch up.

"ExxonMobil’s product portfolio shows that the company is facilitating sustainable development." - Amanda Li, North Asia Rigids & Recycling Application Development Team Lead at ExxonMobil Chemical. 

She presented ExxonMobil’s product portfolio to show that the company is facilitating sustainable development. Taking Vistamaxx performance polymers as an example, they are semi-crystalline copolymers with tunable amorphous content and are compatible with other polyolefinic materials.

They can expand the use potential of plastics and can be used in the following processing processes, including injection molding, polypropylene, cast film, blow molding, thermoforming and extrusion molding.

“There is a need to rethink the fundamentals of sustainable packaging.” - Tony Sun, Head of Regional Marketing, Packaging, Asia North, Borouge

In his presentation, Tony Sun pointed out that there is a need to rethink the fundamentals of sustainable packaging - optimum reduction of unnecessary packaging, better design for recyclability, efficient packaging, reduction of carbon footprint (direct + transportation) and increase of renewable or recycled content.

He also introduced Borouge's recyclable mono-material, PCR, heavy-duty bag closed loop (EPR) and renewable polyolefin solutions, as well as the agricultural film recycling pilots and community-reaching sustainability programs.

"In response to the traditional recycling model of waste plastics, INTOP proposes a model of point, station and field." - Wendy Zeng, Marketing Manager, Guangdong INTOP Industrial Holding Co., Ltd.

In response to the traditional recycling model of waste plastics, INTOP proposes a model of point, station and field, which means from recyclable waste collection points, transfer stations, sorting center (packaging field), and finally to the waste utilization enterprises.

Wendy Zeng emphasized the importance of a traceable recycling system and triple checking in the recycling process, including intelligent optical sorting, robotic sorting and manual assisted sorting. She also remarked that standardized operations can ensure the stable output of AAA pure white bottle bricks.

"P&G achieves the target of zero-emission target by 2040 from five aspects." - Joanna Zhou, Director, Sustainability, P&G Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Joanna Zhou shared the plastics recycling innovation solutions of P&G. The company achieves the target of zero-emission target by 2040 from five aspects: materials and packaging, company operations, logistics and transportation, product use, and product end-of-life.

For packaging, P&G uses Full Paper Bag that has certain plastic strength while taking into account the aesthetics. In terms of e-commerce packaging, P&G has developed the “air capsule” that uses mono-material for lighter weight and higher circularity. It is also the first “Double Easy Recycling” certified product for express packaging in China.

"Fully biodegradable and mono-material will be the main technological trends for plastic films/sheets and packaging." - Liming Wei, General Manager, Shanghai Royal New Materials Technology Co., Ltd.

In the presentation, Liming Wei said the company believes that fully biodegradable and mono-material will be the main technological trends for plastic films/sheets and packaging.

For example, in bottling applications, it is a trend to use the same material for the bottle body and the plastic film label or to use plastic-free film labels. The use of fully biodegradable materials to replace traditional plastics (PP, PE) and paper-based materials will be the main trend in applications such disposable lunch boxes.

Special events to demonstrate PCR and mono-material applications

Apart from presentations and exhibit showcase, two special events in response to the increasing enthusiasm about PCR and mono-material technology was conducted.

Henkel and Berry were invited to jointly create an environmentally friendly daily chemical packaging sample, demonstrating a successful practice for the industry.

The bottle made from PCR HDPE variegated material and equipped with mono-material plastic pump.

The Schwarzkopf bottle is made from 30% PCR HDPE variegated material and equipped with Berry’s mono-material plastic pump. It breaks the limitation that variegated HDPE bottles can only be downcycling.

This is also Henkel's first application of bottle-to-bottle recycling and reuse of variegated HDPE in the Chinese market.

The co-branded silk scarf provided by ATRenew and Meituan.

In addition, ATRenew and Meituan collaborated to launch an activity that visitors can exchange two waste bottles for the co-branded eco-friendly silk scarf made from recycled materials. A mini recycling line of Meituan was also on stage.

Concurrent solutions and products showcase

In addition, about 40 exhibitors showcased their innovative products and solutions concurrently, including the following.

SABIC

Star Advanced Materials (Shandong) Co., Ltd.

Borouge

Covestro (Shanghai) Investment Co., Ltd.

Ningbo Topcentral New Material Co., Ltd.

Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd.

LyondellBasell Polyolefin (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

ExxonMobil Chemical

WACKER

Audia Elastomers

Intertek Testing Services Ltd., Shanghai.

Guangdong INTOP Industrial Holding Co., Ltd.

Shanghai Royal New Materials Technology Co., Ltd.