#Recycling / Circular Economy

2021-12-09

SABIC pioneers with New LNP™ ELCRIN™ IQ COMPOUNDS using pre-consumer recycled glass fiber to accelerate carbon neutrality

SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, launched today new LNP™ ELCRIN™ WF006XXPiQ compound and LNP™ ELCRIN™ WF0061XPiQ compound, the first two grades in a new portfolio of materials that incorporate pre-consumer recycled glass fiber diverted from the waste stream of industrial processes.

These polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) compounds, each reinforced with 30 percent pre-consumer recycled short glass fiber, offer mechanical properties and color equivalency of ELCRIN iQ grades that use virgin glass fiber reinforcement. This new technology further decreases the carbon footprint of ELCRIN iQ materials, which already support the circular economy and help reduce plastic waste by using upcycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from discarded water bottles.

SABIC is one of the first material suppliers to adopt pre-consumer recycled glass fiber for thermoplastic compounds. © 2021 Sabic

“We are continually pursuing new avenues to accelerate carbon neutrality for our materials across our portfolio” said Luc Govaerts, director, Formulation & Application Development for SABIC’s Specialties Business. “This effort includes evaluating each component of our thermoplastic compounds and collaborating with others in the value chain to identify potential replacements that can drive circularity. Central to this process is the prioritization of customer needs, so that greater sustainability goes hand-in-hand with outstanding performance, consistent quality and processing efficiency.”

Lowering Environmental Impacts

SABIC is one of the first material suppliers to adopt pre-consumer recycled glass fiber for thermoplastic compounds. The short glass fiber used in these new ELCRIN iQ materials contains 100 percent recycled content according to Underwriters Laboratories’ Recycled Content Validation procedure (UL 2809), following the mass balance approach. Compared to virgin PBT reinforced with virgin glass fiber, LNP ELCRIN WF006XXPiQ compound contains 67 percent recycled content and lowers carbon footprint by 29 percent, while LNP ELCRIN WF0061XPiQ compound contains 55 percent recycled content and reduces carbon footprint by 24 percent .

In addition to their improved sustainability profile, these materials deliver good structural performance (stiffness and strength), chemical resistance and colorability for applications in the consumer electronics, automotive and electrical & electronics industries. Furthermore, the new LNP ELCRIN WF0061XPiQ compound offers non-halogenated flame retardance. As a drop-in replacement for incumbent virgin PBT and ELCRIN iQ grades, the two new compounds enable customers to increase application sustainability without the need for design or tooling changes.

“These two next-generation materials create new possibilities for customers to advance their carbon neutrality strategy by further increasing the amount of recycled content they use and lowering the carbon emissions of their applications, all while maintaining equivalent properties and processability,” said Darpan Parikh, Global Product Management Leader, LNP Portfolio, SABIC’s Specialties business. “For SABIC, the move to adopt pre-consumer recycled glass fiber reinforces our commitment to optimize the use of resources and contribute to our customers net zero carbon goals.”

SABIC plans to extend the use of pre-consumer recycled glass fiber to reinforced compounds based on other resins from their specialty offerings. These new products are available for sampling globally and formulations can be tailored to customers’ specific needs.

Managed workwear services are providing a blueprint for the circular textile economy

Managed workwear service providers are demonstrating how commercial success and circularity can go hand in hand by extending garment lifespans through repair, laundering, reuse and recycling, according to “Managed workwear services—a circular textile economy ahead of the game”, a new 14‑page report from the global business information company Textiles Intelligence.

Eco-design as the foundation of circular textiles

Based on the results of an extensive European analysis, the Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity is currently developing three practice-based training modules covering recycling technologies, eco-design for the circular economy and sustainable manufacturing. This was preceded by a comprehensive company survey and a joint analysis conducted by the project partners under the leadership of IVGT. The results show that the greatest challenges lie not so much in a lack of technology as in skills gaps.

Usha Yarns secures growth equity investment from Fullerton Carbon Action Fund

Usha Yarns Limited (“Usha Yarns”), a producer of high-quality recycled yarns with advanced, well established production processes, announced a growth equity investment from the Fullerton Carbon Action Fund (“Fullerton”), a private equity strategy managed by Fullerton Fund Management that backs established mid-market companies across Emerging Asia to accelerate decarbonisation.

PERFORMANCE DAYS announces new focus topic & forums for October 2026

With its upcoming October 13–14, 2026 edition, PERFORMANCE DAYS is placing the spotlight on one of the textile industry’s most important transformations: “Bio-Based Materials – From Fiber to Fabric”, a two-part Focus Topic exploring the future of bio-based innovation across the textile value chain. Part 1, presented in October 2026, will focus on fibers and next-generation material developments, while Part 2 at the March 2027 edition will shift the perspective toward dyeing, finishing, additives, and processing technologies.

Febratex 2026 to be the largest edition of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas with 10 exhibition halls

Febratex 2026 will be the largest edition in the history of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas. Dedicated to the textile and apparel manufacturing industries, the event will take place from August 18–21, 2026, in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil, with a strong focus on technology, sustainability, and business generation.

Cotton Brazil Dialogues field trip brings international stakeholders closer to Brazil’s cotton production chain

How do you build trust across the global textile value chain? By opening the farm gates. This is the principle behind the Cotton Brazil Dialogues. At the end of July, the programme welcomed its first group of international participants for a five-day immersion into Brazilian cotton production, combining field visits with technical workshops to showcase the quality, sustainability, innovation and traceability behind one of the world’s leading cotton origins.