Borealis launches portfolio of circular plastomers and elastomers based on renewable feedstock

Recent years have seen a steady increase in the demand for high-performance plastomers and elastomers that combine the physical properties of rubber with the processing advantages of a thermoplastic material. This trend has been accompanied by a growing urgency in the demand for sustainable solutions that offer the same material performance but with circular content and a reduced carbon footprint.

Borealis' production location in Geleen, the Netherlands, is the production site for Queo™, Borealis' range of high-performance polyolefin plastomers and elastomers. In March 2023, the facility received the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS), thus enabling Borealis to introduce a new product line to meet customer demand for circular solutions: the Bornewables™ line of Queo.

Produced with ISCC PLUS–certified renewable feedstock, the new line represents an expansion of the Bornewables portfolio of circular polyolefin products, which offer the same material performance as fossil-based polyolefins, yet decoupled from fossil-based feedstock and with reduced carbon emissions.

Produced using proprietary Borceed™ technology, Queo products bridge the performance gap between conventional plastics such as polyethylene (PE) and conventional elastomers like ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). Applications include automotive, flexible and rigid packaging, housewares, and wire and cables. "The Bornewables line of Queo is a value-add solution that will enable Borealis' customers to continue to benefit from Queo's unmatched sealability, flexibility, compatibility and processability properties, while also meeting their sustainability goals," says Britta Warnke, Borealis Vice President Commercial, Advanced Products and Mobility.

The Bornewables line of Queo products is ISCC PLUS certified based on a mass balance approach, a chain of custody model that makes it possible to track, trace and verify sustainable content from feedback through to finished product. Bornewables feedstock is derived solely from waste and residue streams: from vegetable oil products as well as oil waste and residues – for instance, used cooking oil. The use of renewable feedstock is a key component of Borealis' Circular Cascade approach, which illustrates how the company aims to lead the transformation of the plastics industry from linear to circular production.

The launch of circular plastomers and elastomers represents another step towards Borealis achieving its circular economy targets: by 2025, Borealis targets a four-fold increase in share of circular products and solutions to 600 kilotonnes per annum. By 2030, the volume of circular product and solutions is set to reach 1.8 million tonnes per annum globally, turning today's plastic waste into a valuable resource to be reused. "The Bornewables line of Queo plastomers and elastomers strengthens our position as a global circular economy leader,” says Chris McArdle, Borealis Vice President Circular Economy Solutions and New Business Development. This launch marks another step on our EverMinds mission to lead the transformation to a circular economy for plastics and again underlines how we re-invent essentials for sustainable living."