During the annual meeting held last week in The Hague, The Netherlands, the Dutch Chemical Industry (VNCI) presented SABIC Innovative Plastics, a high performance material supplier, with the Responsible Care Award 2009.
The company was honored for its efforts in developing a polybutylene terephtalate (PBT) based product portfolio using discarded polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, usually found in disposable materials like drinking bottles. The material, using a proprietary process, consumes less energy and yields less carbon dioxide through its entire manufacturing process compared to traditional resins.
Submissions for The Responsible Care award are reviewed by an independent jury, consisting of representatives from government organisations, environmental bodies, and chemical companies. SABIC Innovative Plastics’ program was deemed a model for the “cradle-to-cradle” concept, whereby materials that have been used for one product can be used for another product without loss of quality.
iQ PBT resin is created using up to 65% post-consumer plastic waste, giving it a carbon footprint 50 to 75% lower than other engineered thermoplastics, extending the useful life of a polyethylene terephtalate bottle to 20 years. Applications for Valox and Xenoy iQ resins include furniture, computers and consumer electronics, transportation and automotive components like connectors, fans, mud guards, door-handles, lighting bezels and more.
The Responsible Care program is a worldwide initiative of the chemical industry. The VNCI has presented the Responsible Care Award every year since 1999, to the most innovative and inspiring project in the field of safety, health, environment, and sustainability. As a winner of the Dutch award, SABIC Innovative Plastics will be nominated for the 2009 European Responsible Care Award organized by the European Chemical Manufacturers Association (CEFIC).
Source: plastics.2456.com
