BASF: New additive solution IrgaCycle™ adds value to recycled plastics

On a global scale, people often have a bad impression of plastics, and the voice of "plastic reduction" is also growing
.
In reality, plastic itself provides the impetus for sustainability, the problem is that plastic waste is not properly disposed
of.
In addition to the degradable plastics emerging on the market recently, the mechanical recycling of plastics is one of the most effective solutions
.
However, the properties and quality of recycled plastics that are mechanically recycled are often not as good as expected
.

Plastic is a recipe for sustainability and a source of pollution

Plastics play a very important role in achieving a sustainable and resource-efficient economy
.
The use of plastics cannot be avoided in many different industrial applications
.
For example: In the automotive sector, the use of plastics can make cars lighter
.
When the body weight of the whole vehicle is reduced by 100 kg, the fuel consumption can be reduced by 0.
35 liters after driving 100 kilometers
.
During the entire life cycle of a car, the reduction of exhaust gas and other waste from lightweighting is a considerable number
.

In the medical field, plastics can reduce the risk of infection, enhance bacteriostatic efficiency, and improve hygiene
.
Whether it is disposable syringes, or masks and protective equipment, there are plastics
.

In the field of construction, the use of polyurethane insulation can result in significant energy savings
.
Compared with the energy consumption generated in the production of polyurethane, the energy saving in practical application is 16 times higher
.

In the field of food, food wrapped in plastic film has a longer shelf life than food in open storage, which can reduce food waste
.

In the agricultural field, the use of plastic agricultural film can increase the unit yield of crops and reduce the use of pesticides and water
.

Although plastic brings a lot of convenience to our lives, we cannot avoid another problem, the waste generated after plastic use has a negative impact on the environment
.
Society as a whole, including the chemical industry, plastic producers, and even consumers, is paying attention to this issue and calling for greater sustainability in the use of plastics
.

Plastics are often regarded as the ultimate waste after the end of their life cycle.
In fact, we can also give them new value through recycling
.
For example, a global fast-moving consumer goods giant currently uses 700,000 tons of plastic a year, and it hopes to reduce the use of virgin plastic to 50% by 2025, which means that half of it comes from recycled plastic
.
Another global beverage giant, which uses 3 million tonnes of plastic annually, equivalent to producing 1.
2 billion PET plastic bottles per day, aims to recycle all plastic by 2030
.
We can find that different regions and industry markets around the world are taking different approaches to recycling waste plastics
.

However, despite the attention paid to waste plastics, the recycling rate of waste plastics around the world is still not optimistic, and the unregulated or improperly disposed plastic waste is growing at an alarming rate
.

The fate of plastic machinery after recycling: low-end applications are the norm

In the process of recycling plastic waste, mechanical recycling is a relatively mature way
.
However, mechanical recycling also presents serious challenges, as recycled plastics often do not have the same quality or performance as virgin plastics
.
During the mechanical recycling of plastics, previously used stabilizers and other additives are exhausted
.
Due to thermal degradation and mechanical stress, polymer molecular chains degrade during first use and recycling
.
Furthermore, recycled plastics often contain impurities and polymeric contaminants that degrade their physical properties
.
Even if the additives originally used were added back to recycled plastics, the combination of additives that would otherwise be suitable would not be sufficient to deal with these problems
.

To this end, BASF has launched a new additive solution, IrgaCycle™, to solve a series of problems that may be encountered in the mechanical recycling process, giving recycled plastics higher performance and value
.
As technology continues to improve and regulation improves, the production of plastics recycled by mechanical methods is expected to nearly triple by 2030, equivalent to an annual increase of about 10%
.
We are gradually expanding our existing product portfolio with our new additive IrgaCycle™, providing specific recycling solutions and contributing to our goal of a circular economy for plastics
.

New additive solutions from BASF

IrgaCycle™'s new line of additive solutions will help increase the content of recycled materials in a variety of end-use applications including packaging, automotive and mobility, building and construction
.
These solutions address the processing stability, long-term stability and outdoor aging of recycled plastics
.

All products are in ready-to-use form - easy to use directly in the recycling step
.
The granular, dust-free product form ensures that the recovered material is safe during processing or mixing and can be easily added
.

BASF is committed to providing a wider range of additive solutions for recycled plastics.
By maintaining close communication with brands and processors, we understand the problems encountered in plastic recycling, and continuously develop and optimize our products and solutions
.