Future of efficient Bio-PE

Ready to participate?

Here is some important information, that you should consider when working on this challenge. All information given can be downloaded via the tab 'submission'.

Criteria & guidelines

The material solution can either be created using existing technologies or novel technologies. Solutions can be categorized as followed:

• Mass-balanced Renewable PE
• Renewable PE
• Mass-balanced Chemical Recycled
• Mechanical Recycled
• Novel Technology (Fulfilling the following requirements):
  Assessed having a potential for recycling according to RecyClass
  Potential scenario for converting feasible
  Realistic cost structure
• Essity has introduced sugar-cane based PE into their PE films.
• Essity has introduced Tall Oil and Cooking Oil based PE into their PE films as a Mass Balance approach solution.

Current Efforts

Essity has been researching compound materials to use in Polyethylene blend. (e.g Lignin). Lignin was possible to use as a filler in PE blend, but the final material combination was not suitable for current PE recycling streams.

Requirements for the material

• Recyclable
• Low CO2 impact
• Compatibility with current PE recycling streams (there are no specific Essity needs but the overall requirements need to be met)
• Compatibility with all requirements of current PE recycling streams in Europe (RecyClass criteria can be taken as a reference for recycling technologies)

Specifications and desired outcome

All identified technical solutions should be validated at pilot scale and anchored with Essity's packaging suppliers. The solution or concept should be feasible for the PE flexible film producers. This technology is known as blow film extrusion. Regular fossil PE or bio-based PE is in the form of solid pellets (pearls) which are melted, extruded and blown into a form of flexible film. The solution or the proposal should be compliant with this technology.

Guiding Questions:

• What could be an alternative for current resources of Polyethylene?
• What could be a cheaper way to obtain current resources of renewable PE? (semi-finished products, industrial waste)
• Is there any alternative or easy way to collect carbon-rich waste or used materials? (For ethylene conversion readiness)
• Is there any existing solution which enables easier carbon collection? (e.g., extraction, pulping of different carbon rich materials)
• What could be the profile of the materials for easy ethylene conversion? (e.g., an ocean-based carbon-rich material, oil or gas waste)
• Is there any carbon-rich profile material on the market that is not available yet for industrial scale production?
• Is there any compound material can be used together with Polyethylene and the final combination is still recyclable?

Knowledge on the recycling stream:

General information on obtaining Ethylene from different resources: