UBQ partners with Teknor Apex for eco-conscious TPEs

UBQ Materials, a climate tech developer of advanced materials made from unsorted household waste based in Tel Aviv, Israel, announced that it is partnering with Teknor Apex Company, a thermoplastics compounder based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The two plan to include UBQ in its latest line of sustainable thermoplastic elastomers (TPE).  

UBQ is a sustainable plastic substitute converted entirely from unsorted municipal solid waste, including all organics that have been diverted from landfills. UBQ is a novel worldwide patented material that has already been adopted by leading industry brands and enterprises for manufacturing durable products with reduced environmental footprints.   

The company says this partnership marks the first time UBQ will be used in TPE compounds, a rubber-like material used across industries. As the preferred material for applications requiring flexibility in the consumer products, automotive, industrial and building and construction industries, TPEs combine the performance of thermoset rubber with the processability of a thermoplastic and can be recycled. Teknor Apex’s TPE production offerings are as diverse as the industries they serve, consisting of formulations specifically designed to meet market requirements for physical and thermal performance.  

In the race to meet market demand for environmentally conscious materials, the TPE market is embracing new sustainable options. Customized TPE solutions provide the right balance of performance, manufacturability and economics, and introducing sustainable content increases the complexity.  

Over the past year, Teknor Apex and UBQ have developed a series of TPEs incorporating various levels of UBQ and high-quality postconsumer recycled raw materials, diverting plastics from landfills and creating greater circularity within the polymers supply chain.   

“Incorporating UBQ into our TPEs, we are introducing the market to a new TPE option that is both cost-competitive and better for the planet,” says Jonathan Plisco, new business development manager of Teknor Apex. “Many customers are looking for more sustainable options that meet both the functional and financial requirements of a competitive marketplace. Manufacturers can become a part of the waste solution by incorporating sustainable materials that divert waste and preserve finite natural resources.”