GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Media OutReach Newswire – March 25, 2024 – Representatives of SIBUR, Russia’s largest producer of polymers and rubbers, attended the Ecumène roundtable in Geneva where they discussed the company’s advanced initiatives in circular economy and mitigation of its climate impact.
The discussion took place ahead of an upcoming United Nations discussion on a legally binding global agreement to combat plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, scheduled for April 2024 in Ottawa, Canada.
Maxim Remchukov, Sustainability Director of SIBUR, called recycling of polymer waste an important part of the company’s sustainability strategy. Under its Vivilen brand, SIBUR produces a range of polymers containing recycled plastic for various applications: food (rPET), non-food (rPO) and interior decoration (rPS). This initiative helps prevent around 1.7 billion plastic bottles from ending up in landfills each year. SIBUR also recycles polystyrene packaging and low-density polyethylene cans.
SIBUR implements a number of plastic collection and recycling projects in collaboration with various partners in its regions of operations. The company supports the collection of plastic waste at marathons as well as soccer and basketball games, and even produces eco-friendly basketballs from recycled plastic.
The Russian government is also concerned about the environment and last year required plastic packaging manufacturers to recycle their packaging or pay a special environmental tax. Discussions are also underway regarding the banning of certain types of plastic packaging.
Remchukov emphasized that the possibilities for recycling mechanical plastic waste are limited, depending on the quality of the material and how clean it is, while chemical recycling (thermolysis) has enormous potential, he said. This process converts complex and difficult-to-recycle packaging waste into hydrocarbon feedstocks, which are then used to produce primary polymers. SIBUR plans to launch a thermolysis pilot plant.
The company is also a leader in the fight against climate change. According to the Russian Register of Carbon Units, SIBUR has one of the largest portfolios of climate projects among Russian companies. SIBUR climate projects expected to reduce CO2 emissions of more than 6 million tons by the end of 2032. The company plans to sell the carbon units obtained through their implementation in the Russian and international markets.
Recycling polymer waste also reduces greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing the volume of waste sent to landfills and the amount of primary raw materials used for production, which are replaced in part by recycled materials.
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