ExxonMobil announces the first sale of certified-circular Exceed polymers in India to UFlex Ltd

Texas-headquartered ExxonMobil, one of the world’s leading oil and gas producers, has announced the sale of certified-circular Exceed TM polyethylene (PE) polymers to UFlex Limited, India’s largest multinational flexible packaging and solution company. The parties involved in the deal have not disclosed the volume and price of the sale due to sensitivity but confirmed the execution of the deal in a statement issued on Friday.

UFlex, based in Noida, is a prominent manufacturer of packaging film with plants in various countries, including India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mexico, Poland, Egypt, the United States of America, Russia, Hungry, and Nigeria. Since its establishment in 1985, UFlex has grown into a company with a turnover of over US$1.75 billion, employing over 10,000 people and enjoying a strong market presence in India. Furthermore, UFlex has expanded its manufacturing capabilities in packaging films, offering end-to-end solutions to clients across 150 countries, including the United States of America, Canada, South America, the United Kingdom, Europe, CIS countries, and South Africa, among others.

The certified-circular Exceed polymers utilize ExxonMobil’s proprietary Exxtend TM technology for advanced recycling. The certified-circular polymers exhibit the same product quality and performance as virgin plastic. By incorporating certified-circular resins into their packaging solutions, UFlex actively contributes to supporting a circular economy for plastics. The deal was motivated by numerous factors on both sides.

Nitin Thakur, Area Sales Manager, North, and East India for ExxonMobil Polyethylene business, expressed his delight and satisfaction with the first commercial sale of certified-circular Exceed polymers, stating, “I am extremely delighted and pleased to be a part of certified-circular polymer development with our value chain partners. This step can help society at large capture additional value for plastic waste across multiple applications.”

Rahul Dubey, General Manager (R&D) of UFlex Packaging Division, expressed his satisfaction with the purchase, stating, “We recognize the importance of supporting a circular economy for plastics and believe that it requires the collective effort of the value chain. We have engaged with our customers to help develop plastic packaging and assisted them in accessing certified-circular material. Incorporating certified-circular resins into our packaging solutions is one concrete way we can support a circular economy for plastics and, in turn, contribute to a better tomorrow. We are honoured and excited to be part of this incredible journey.”

This sale of certified-circular polymers in India is significant as it now allows the user to incorporate certified-circular content into food packaging. Mechanically recycled plastic materials have had limited use in food packaging applications, while ExxonMobil’s Exxtend TM technology broadens the range of recyclable plastic materials by breaking down difficult-to-recycle plastic waste back into its original building blocks, which can be used to create new, certified-circular polymers.

Identical to virgin plastics
The Product quality and performance of the certified-circular polymers are identical to virgin plastic, giving customers confidence in using these materials in existing applications, including contact-sensitive, food-grade packaging solutions. In collaboration with brand owners, UFlex will be among the first companies in India to utilize certified-circular performance PE polymers for the production of films used in high-performance flexible packaging, including food-grade packaging applications.

“Commercializing certified-circular polymers in our region is crucial to enabling customers and brand owners to achieve their plastic circularity goals. By offering advanced recycling solutions, ExxonMobil is expanding the possibilities for recycling a wider range of plastic products. This brings us one step closer to a world where society can fully capture the value of plastics,” said Chan Kwee Lin, Asia Pacific Advanced Recycling and Sustainability General Manager for ExxonMobil.

The International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS is a widely recognized global certification system used to certify products that can be traced back to the advanced recycling of plastic waste through mass balance attribution. ExxonMobil has obtained ISCC PLUS certification for several of its facilities and aims to establish the capacity to process 500,000 tonnes of plastic waste by the end of 2026 across multiple sites worldwide.

ExxonMobil strengthening circularity
ExxonMobil is strengthening the circularity of plastics through Exxtend™ technology for advanced recycling. This technology, at the forefront of evolving demand, serves as a foundation for certified-circular products that assist customers in achieving their sustainability objectives. By unlocking the value of a broader range of plastic materials that are challenging to recycle through mechanical processes. Exxtend technology breaks down plastics to the molecular level, creating building blocks that can be utilized to produce new plastic of virgin quality and other valuable products that can be reintroduced into the value chain.

The quality and performance of certified-circular polymers are indistinguishable from polymers produced from conventional fossil feedstock. Customers can confidently incorporate these certified-circular polymers into existing applications, including medical and food packaging. Furthermore, Exxtend TM technology for advanced recycling results in lower greenhouse gas emissions during the processing of plastic waste compared to processing the same amount of fossil-based feedstocks

ExxonMobil has commissioned a carbon footprint assessment of its Exxtend TM technology for advanced recycling as implemented in the United States. While understanding the benefits of this co-processing technology in terms of scale and capabilities, the company sought to compare its carbon footprint to the base case when operating the units without waste plastics.