#Recycling / Circular Economy

2020-11-12

SABIC hosts high-level forum on Circular Carbon Economy

A high-level virtual forum on the Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) was hosted by SABIC, a global leader in diversified chemicals. Attended by over 300 participants, the event addressed how enabling the CCE through the application of game-changing technologies, is playing a vital role in helping companies meet the rising expectations of investors and wider society with regard to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards.

The first-day sessions at the Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) Enablers Forum highlighted the growing efforts of technology venturing arms of corporate and institutional organizations in facilitating the use of the ‘4Rs’ of the CCE (Reuse, Reduce, Recycle, and Remove). The sessions also explored how to apply the ‘4Rs’ on a commercial scale, as a route to harnessing their added value towards improved ESG performance.

SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO, Yousef Al-Benyan, opened the forum and said: “Climate change is one of the major challenges of our time. The CCE framework presents an effective solution towards significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions for the long term. However, delivering a lasting and positive impact will require the public and private sector to work closely together, harnessing the full potential of their innovative and collaborative capabilities.”

He added: “At SABIC, we have continuously demonstrated our commitment towards a more sustainable future and, specifically, the Circular Carbon Economy. We have reached several key milestones in driving the Circular Carbon Economy framework forward, as witnessed recently in building the world’s largest carbon recapture plant in Jubail, and when we demonstrated, with Saudi Aramco, the successful production of blue ammonia along with the product’s first shipment from Saudi Arabia to Japan.”

Also taking place on Day 1, Adam Sieminski, president of the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center, (KAPSARC) introduced the CCE and its value proposition.

Day two began with opening remarks from Dr. Bob Maughon, SABIC’s Executive Vice President for Technology and Innovation (T&I) and Sustainability, who highlighted: “The circular carbon economy today is being complemented by the Life Cycle Assessment and the rise of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, which are becoming an increasingly important part of the global investment community’s agenda.”

From there, discussions focused on areas such as the role and importance of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in building the CCE and the challenges associated with maintaining a strong alignment with ESG requirements. Sessions also included insights shared by investors on their perspectives around the growing importance of ESG, and the ongoing challenge of aligning LCA practices at organizational and country levels.

The closing remarks of Day 2 were delivered by Dr. Fahad Al-Sherehy, SABIC’s VP for Energy Efficiency and Carbon Management.

SABIC has been actively involved in researching the CCE in Saudi Arabia and has worked closely alongside Saudi Aramco as well as government and academic institutes, including NEOM and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).

SABIC has played a key role in driving the CCE agenda forward during the recently held B20 Summit in Riyadh and will continue to do so in the upcoming G20 Summit.

Reju announces site selection for first U.S. industrial sized facility regeneration hub in Rochester, New York

Reju, the textile-to-textile regeneration company, today announced it has selected the site for its first U.S.-based industrial facility marking a significant milestone in its efforts to scale globally. This future Regeneration Hub will be in Rochester, New York, reinforcing Reju’s commitment to the adoption of circular textile system across key regions worldwide.

Canopy introduces a first-of-its-kind $2 billion USD investment blueprint to decarbonize global materials supply chains

Today, the global, solutions-driven not-for-profit Canopy joined partners at Davos to introduce a new finance model designed to accelerate the growth of low-carbon materials and transform the paper, packaging, and textile supply chains. The event was anchored by a keynote speech from Sri A Revanth Reddy, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Telangana, with India set to host the first iteration of the new investment blueprint.

Borealis invests EUR 49 million in Burghausen, Germany to accelerate design for circularity

Borealis announces a EUR 49 million strategic investment to scale up production of Borstar® Nextension polypropylene (PP) at its manufacturing site in Burghausen, Germany. This will expand commercial production of next-generation single-site polypropylene (ssPP) grades that deliver enhanced purity, processability, and performance - supporting customers in key sectors including packaging, healthcare, mobility, and fibers, to meet evolving market and regulatory demands.

From local actions to industrial innovations: SOLSTICE shares mid-project results

Since its launch in May 2024, the SOLSTICE project is accelerating the transition from linear models to circular regional ecosystems in the textile industry, focusing on four key territories: Grenoble-Alpes Métropole (France), Berlin (Germany), Prato (Italy), and Catalonia (Spain). By mid-project, SOLSTICE has already revealed both regional disparities and promising solutions to strengthen textile repair, reuse, and recycling infrastructure.

PERFORMANCE DAYS: Focus topic shifts to the beginning of the value chain

Following the last Focus Topic in October 2025, which placed Textile-to-Textile Recycling at its core, PERFORMANCE DAYS continues to drive the conversation around circularity – this time with an expanded and more upstream perspective. The upcoming Focus Topic, “Textile to Textile: The Role of Collectors and Sorters,” presented during the spring edition on March 18–19, will spotlight one of the most essential yet often overlooked components of a functioning circular textile system: the efficient collection and sorting of post-consumer textiles.

Proven performance, optimised costs – the new RE 6 EL

Nowadays textile companies increasingly need to produce small production runs and respond to market changes with instantaneous pattern changes in order to operate profitably – meaning they require machines that offer maximum flexibility, reliability and cost efficiency. KARL MAYER understands the challenges of the market and is launching its new RE 6 EL. The Raschel machine offers the core strengths of the classic RSE 6 EL and essentially the same performance parameters, but has been further cost-optimised largely due to local production advantages. This makes the newcomer an efficiency champion in production, especially when it comes to frequent pattern changes.

European business associations celebrate the signature of the EU-Mercosur FTA

The 17th January marks a historic milestone with the signing of the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement, creating the biggest trading block in the world. European business – represented by more than 28 associations across a wide range of sectors – warmly welcomes this signature. It sends a strong and timely signal that the EU remains open and is committed to rules-based global trade. In a time of global uncertainty, this agreement is a key growth booster.