Polymer Resources launches sustainable materials portfolio
Polymer Resources Ltd., a U.S. compounder of high-quality engineering resins, announced the commercialization of its new and growing sustainable materials portfolio.
Currently comprising four general-purpose resin grades, by mid-2024 this portfolio will expand to include several flame-retardant products listed by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). All grades in the portfolio contain at least 50 percent recycled content, helping to reduce their carbon footprint and meet customer demands for products containing recycled materials. The initiative is one aspect of the company’s robust sustainability strategy, which also includes reducing fossil-based energy consumption, emissions and landfill waste, and promoting safety and wellness internally and in the community.
“Sustainability is an integral part of our business, and we are passionate about supporting sustainable practices and principles within the plastics compounding industry,” said Scott Anderson, president and chief operating officer, Polymer Resources. “Developing new products containing a significant percentage of recycled content is one important way we can help the industry and our customers reduce carbon emissions and increase circularity – without compromising on performance or quality. We look forward to expanding our sustainable portfolio with new materials in the near future.”
Starting Strong with General-purpose Resins
To meet the needs of many customers, Polymer Resources initiated its sustainable materials portfolio with the development of four general-purpose grades, each containing a minimum of 50 percent recycled content. The four commercially available products consist of a low-flow polycarbonate (PC) resin (PC-GP1S), a medium-flow PC resin (PC-GP2S), a high-flow PC resin (PC-GP3S), and a PC/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene blend (PC/ABS-GP1S). All are opaque and available in natural, black or custom colors. The properties and processing parameters of these grades are very similar to those of their virgin counterparts, making it possible, in many cases, to use these sustainable resins as drop-in replacements for existing fossil-based resins.
To assure quality and consistency, the company inspects and tests all recycled content according to the ISO 9001-2015 standard for quality management. Furthermore, Polymer Resources has established long-term agreements with producers of post-consumer and post-industrial recycled plastics to optimize control over these feedstocks and ensure reliable supply.
While the recycled content used in the new sustainable products is sourced from outside producers, Polymer Resources recycles its own waste plastic for re-use in compounding operations. Its recently expanded facility in Rochester, N.Y., features a separate, soundproofed, 3,250 sq. ft. room for grinding and shredding waste plastic from the company’s processes and from customers and vendors, helping to divert it from landfills and oceans and extend its useful life.
Polymer Resources performs its own quality control checks on the incoming material that the company reprocesses, providing tight control and enabling classification of material properties and particle sizes of ground products. This rigorous process gives Polymer Resources the ability to control the quality level of all sustainable products produced. Furthermore, in-house shredding and grinding equipment gives the company greater control over the quality of the recycled feed streams it utilizes.
Adding Sustainable FR Grades
The company is currently pursuing UL94 V0 listing for flame-retardant grades of PC and PPO-modified polyphenylene ether (PPX) that will enhance the sustainable material portfolio. These grades will also contain at least 50 percent recycled content. Target applications include electrical/electronic components, industrial parts and consumer products.
Polymer Resources supports its sustainable materials with comprehensive customer services, including custom formulating, color matching, flexible quantities and technical assistance with material selection, process optimization, tool design and regulatory compliance.
The new and growing sustainable materials portfolio will be featured at Polymer Resources’ booth (#S27075) at NPE2024: The Plastics Show in Orlando, Fla., May 6-10.
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