Collaboration allows Pregis to design foam packaging with recycled PE

Pregis LLC, a Chicago-based protective packaging developer, has unveiled a foam packaging product supported by certified-circular polyethylene (PE) resins through a collaboration with Irving, Texas-based ExxonMobil Corp.

Pregis says this innovation was driven by a need for packaging that helps brands meet consumer demand for more circular plastic products while still offering the high-quality protection properties of PE foam. The company says its holistic approach to circular design, coupled with ExxonMobil’s investment in advanced recycling technology, fueled the integration of certified-circular resins into more circular packaging applications that do not compromise performance.

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“Incorporating certified-circular resins into protective foam applications is a novel approach achieved through deep collaboration across the value chain,” Pregis Chief Sustainability Officer Ryan Wolcott says. “We view advanced recycling technologies and the use of certified-circular resins as one more set of tools that allow us to help tackle the plastic waste challenge. This achievement embodies Pregis’ commitment to plastics circularity.”

Ray Mastroleo, advanced recycling market development manager, polyethylene, at ExxonMobil, says his company recognizes growing consumer demand for solutions that support plastics circularity, particularly in the realm of protective packaging.

“ExxtendTM technology for advanced recycling and our collaboration with Pregis are testaments to our commitment to help meet this demand, enabling the delivery of more circular products that meet the highest performance and safety standards," he adds.

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ExxonMobil’s advanced recycling facilities and processes are certified via the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) Plus system. Using ISCC Plus’s mass balance attribution methodology, the mass of plastic scrap processed through ExxonMobil’s advanced recycling process, less manufacturing losses, is attributed to the mass of certified-circular plastic sold to Pregis. Pregis then uses the certified-circular plastics it buys from ExxonMobil to produce foam in its Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Visalia, California, facilities, which are both ISCC Plus certified.

By purchasing certified-circular polymers, Pregis says it helps drive the demand for using plastic scrap as a valuable feedstock.