Covestro Develops New Polycarbonate Resin with 90% Recycled Content

Covestro offers a polycarbonate with 90 percent recycled plastic from post-consumer waste (PCR) that can be used in consumer electronics and other applications. © Covestro

(IN BRIEF) Covestro, a leading supplier of high-performance polymer materials, has developed a new polycarbonate resin with 90% recycled content from post-consumer waste (PCR). The Makrolon® PCR polycarbonate resin has a carbon footprint 70% lower than a comparable fossil-based virgin plastic and is part of Covestro’s circular solutions portfolio. The company plans to offer this grade in the Asia-Pacific region and is building a compounding plant for PCR polycarbonates in Shanghai. Covestro is also making progress with polycarbonates attributed with raw materials produced using a mass balance approach derived from bio waste and residual materials.

(PRESS RELEASE) LEVERKUSEN, 19-Apr-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Covestro AG (ETR: 1COV), a German producer of polyurethane and polycarbonate based raw materials and one of world’s leading polymer companies, announces that it has developed a new polycarbonate resin with 90% recycled content from post-consumer waste (PCR). The new Makrolon® PCR polycarbonate resin is part of Covestro’s CQ portfolio of circular solutions, which aims to help achieve a circular economy and climate neutrality. The carbon footprint of this new product is 70% lower than that of a comparable fossil-based virgin plastic.

“We are very proud of this breakthrough solution as it will enable our customers to achieve their sustainability goals faster. This is especially true for industries such as consumer electronics and audio and networking equipment manufacturers, which have ambitious sustainability goals of their own,” said Lily Wang, Global Head of the Engineering Plastics segment at Covestro. “This is another step toward our vision of becoming fully circular, and an important contribution to accelerating the transformation of industries toward a recyclable and carbon-neutral future.”

This PCR grade resin is manufactured with halogen-free flame retardants that meet performance requirements without increasing environmental impact. It has also achieved the highest V-0 rating of Underwriters Laboratories’ UL 94 flammability standards. The Makrolon® PCR polycarbonate resin is suitable for use in consumer electronics and other applications.

Covestro is also partnering with Jabra, a Danish brand that produces audio equipment and video conferencing systems. Jabra’s latest Evolve2 headset series uses Covestro’s Bayblend® FR3010 R75 polycarbonate blend, which is made of 75% recycled material and has a 50% lower carbon footprint² compared to its conventional fossil-based counterpart.

To meet the increasing demand for sustainable plastics, Covestro is currently building a dedicated compounding plant for PCR polycarbonates at its integrated site in Shanghai. The plant is scheduled to be commissioned later this year and will be able to supply more than 25,000 metric tons of high-quality PCR polycarbonates annually.

In addition to PCR grades produced through mechanical recycling, Covestro is also making progress with polycarbonates attributed with raw materials produced using a mass balance approach derived from bio waste and residual materials. The company now regularly supplies Makrolon® RE polycarbonates with a renewable attributed raw material content of up to 89%³. Some products, including climate-neutral¹ polycarbonates, are supplied with 100% renewable electricity under a TÜV-certified system⁴.

Covestro’s mass-balanced products offer an out-of-the-box solution for customers with a significantly lower carbon footprint. The products demonstrate the same high quality and performance as fossil-based polycarbonates, making them an ideal choice for companies seeking to reduce their environmental impact.

¹Climate neutral according to a verified life cycle assessment based on ISO standards 14040/14044. Climate neutrality is demonstrated by assessing a partial product life cycle from resource extraction (cradle) to factory gate, also known as cradle-to-gate assessment. The calculation takes into account biogenic carbon sequestration rather than first “life” pollution. It is based on preliminary data from the supply chain and replaces the electricity grid mix with renewable electricity used in the Covestro manufacturing process. No compensation measures were applied. The LCA methodology developed by Covestro AG is scientifically sound and corresponds to the state of the art. ID no. 0000083440: Covestro AG – Certipedia

²According to an internal calculation by Covestro based on the TÜV reviewed EcoPAss LCA method (ID No. 0000083440: Covestro AG – Certipedia)

³According to the newly published ISCC PLUS system document V3.4, oxygen atoms from ambient air that react with ISCC-certified raw materials are counted towards the sustainable fraction. ISCC PLUS (www.iscc-system.org)

⁴Certified management system: ID no. 0000084999: Covestro AG – Certipedia

About Covestro:

Covestro is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-quality polymer materials and their components. With its innovative products, processes and methods, the company helps enhance sustainability and the quality of life in many areas. Covestro supplies customers around the world in key industries such as mobility, building and living, as well as the electrical and electronics sector. In addition, polymers from Covestro are also used in sectors such as sports and leisure, cosmetics and health, as well as in the chemical industry itself.

The company is committed to becoming fully circular and is striving to become climate neutral by 2035 (scope 1 and 2). Covestro generated sales of EUR 18 billion in fiscal 2022. At the end of 2022, the company had 50 production sites worldwide and employed approximately 18,000 people (calculated as full-time equivalents).

Forward-looking statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Media contacts:

Frank Rothbarth
Global Trade Media Relations
+49 175 3025363

Richard Fu
Corporate Communications, Covestro China
+86 21 80208452

SOURCE: Covestro AG