PCR Bottles – Avient Expands Recycled TPE Product Line in Asia to Enhance Automotive Sustainability 04-11-2024

Avient Corporation, a leader in sustainable material solutions, has announced the launch of its reSound™ REC Recycled Content Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs) AF 7210 series in Asia. This expansion marks a significant step forward in supporting the automotive industry’s shift toward sustainable, recycled materials. These newly introduced TPEs, first released in Europe earlier this year, contain 25%-55% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content. They are specifically designed for use in automotive interiors, ideal for components like mats, grips, and console trays, and meet the industry’s growing demand for recycled materials that align with stringent regulatory and environmental standards.

Avient’s expansion into the Asian market is strategic, as regional automakers increasingly incorporate PCR content, particularly in interior components. PCR Bottles

This shift aligns with emerging regulatory requirements across the region for sustainable end-of-life vehicle (ELV) recycling. Additionally, new directives proposed in the European Union demand increased recycled content in vehicle materials, which is driving the global automotive market toward eco-friendly materials. “The trend toward recycled content in automotive interiors across Asia has surged, and our reSound REC AF 7210 series meets both this demand and new regulatory mandates,” said Matt Mitchell, Avient’s Director of Global Marketing, Specialty Engineered Materials. “This product line reflects Avient’s commitment to helping our clients achieve the highest standards of sustainability in their vehicle designs.” PCR Bottles

Avient’s reSound REC TPEs undergo rigorous laboratory and real-world testing to ensure they meet demanding automotive interior standards. They deliver strong performance metrics, including low odor and minimal fogging, which is essential for in-cabin air quality. The materials meet strict volatile organic compound (VOC) standards, essential in closed automotive environments, and have undergone both xenon and environmental aging tests. In thermal aging tests at extreme temperatures (short-term exposure to 100°C for six hours and long-term exposure at 90°C for 500 hours), they showed no signs of deformation, stickiness, or visible defects. PCR Bottles

Furthermore, Avient’s commitment to transparency and sustainability includes providing a product carbon footprint (PCF) assessment for each reSound REC grade. Avient’s PCF values, calculated in line with the ISO 14067:2018 Standard, are verified by TÜV Rheinland, a third-party certification body, ensuring accuracy in the carbon impact of their products.

Designed for use in injection molding processes, Avient’s new TPEs provide reliable adhesion in overmolding with polypropylene (PP), offering robust performance without the need for primers. These TPE grades are available in a variety of hardness levels (from Shore 40A to 80A), and they can be customized in color, giving automakers flexibility in design and ensuring visual appeal without compromising durability. PCR Bottles

Avient Corporation is an industry leader in delivering specialized materials solutions designed to overcome complex sustainability challenges and bring innovative products to life. Avient’s commitment to a sustainable future is demonstrated through their wide range of technologies and materials, which include:

– Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber™: Known for its unmatched strength-to-weight ratio, Dyneema® is used in applications requiring superior protection and durability, including ballistic personal protection, marine applications, and high-performance sports gear.

– Recyclability advancements: Avient develops proprietary technologies that improve recyclability, enabling products to incorporate more recycled content and thus fostering a circular economy.

– Light-weighting solutions: Avient offers alternatives to traditional, heavier materials like metals and glass, helping to enhance fuel efficiency and reduce carbon footprints across all modes of transportation.PCR Bottles

– Sustainable infrastructure: Avient’s innovations also focus on building sustainable infrastructure that enhances energy efficiency, renewable energy adoption, conservation of natural resources, and accessibility to high-speed 5G and fiber optic networks.

A member of the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care® program, Avient is committed to ethical environmental practices and promoting sustainability. The company is also a founding member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, underscoring its dedication to reducing plastic waste worldwide.

For more information about Avient’s products, services, and sustainability initiatives, visit their website at www.avient.com. PCR Bottles

To explore their full news archive, visit  www.avient.com/news.

Through the expansion of its reSound REC TPE product line to Asia, Avient continues to play a pivotal role in transforming the automotive industry’s approach to materials. By meeting the evolving regulatory demands and supporting a transition to eco-conscious materials, Avient empowers automakers to achieve both aesthetic and environmental goals in vehicle interiors. This forward-thinking approach aligns with Avient’s broader mission: to drive material innovations that facilitate sustainability across multiple industries, creating products designed for longevity, recyclability, and reduced environmental impact. PCR Bottles

Plastic waste agreement to be signed at PRS Asia

Singapore associations enter into MoU to formalise their collaboration

In a move aimed at increasing plastic recycling and reducing the overall consumption of packaging, the Waste Management and Recycling Association of Singapore (WMRAS) and Singapore Logistics Association (SLA) will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to formalise their collaboration. The signing will take place on the opening day of the Plastics Recycling Show Asia, taking place at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore from 13-14 November 2024, where Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Sustainability & the Environment will be Guest of Honour. PCR Bottles

Singapore’s plastic waste problem is a growing concern, with more than 900,000 tonnes of plastic waste generated annually, but only a small percentage (around 4%) being recycled. While global solutions are important, local solutions tailored to Singapore’s context can be more effective in addressing the issue.

“This agreement will formalise the recycling and waste reduction collaboration between WMRAS and the SLA to implement programs for recycling packaging waste generated in the logistics sector, with a focus on reducing Scope 3 emissions,” said Fang Wei Goh, Executive Director of WMRAS. PCR Bottles

“We will be developing programs related to sustainability and environmental best practices; fleet management and logistics operations and digital transformation in logistics and waste management. Members of both associations will also explore joint business opportunities and partnerships that align with decarbonization efforts and waste reduction.”

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