At CES 2025, materials manufacturer Covestro and WNC, a network communications solutions provider, have announced a strategic partnership to accelerate the communications industry’s transition to a circular, low-carbon future.

Covestro’s polycarbonates with recycled content from post-consumer waste can be used in consumer electronics and other applications.

"We focus not only on product innovation and exceptional quality but also on integrating circular development into our value chain,” said Petter Chen, AVP of Mechanical and Industrial Design Division at WNC.

Covestro will support WNC in developing advanced communications products, such as radio frequency antennas, using high-performance, low-carbon polycarbonate materials.

“Through this partnership, we aim to inspire the value chain and drive circular, sustainable solutions for the evolving communications industry, preparing for future technologies,” said Lily Wang, Head of Engineering Plastics at Covestro.

Innovative and sustainable solutions from Covestro

Covestro already supports the communications industry with innovative materials solutions, such as Thermal Conductive (TC) polycarbonates, a superior alternative to traditional metal components.

This solution enables innovative heat management solutions for 5G and other advanced telecom applications, supporting radical design changes and functional integration in telecom hardware.

Central to the new partnership is Covestro’s circular portfolio of polycarbonates, which can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of end products.

Covestro offers UL-certified polycarbonates with 90% mechanically recycled content from post-consumer waste, delivering high performance comparable to virgin materials. This solution boasts a carbon footprint 70% lower than that of comparable fossil-based virgin plastics.

As a drop-in solution, the company’s RE series, a range of polycarbonates with a renewable attributed share derived from bio-waste and bio-residues, also provides high performance properties identical to fossil-based materials, meeting the critical demands of high-requirement use cases, including optical and harsh outdoor applications.