NOVA Chemicals Debuts Recycle-Ready Resins for Packaging

NOVA Chemicals Corporation (NOVA Chemicals) a leading supplier of polyethylene, has introduced a suite of recycle-ready octene and butene LLDPE resins for packaging applications.

These resins are engineered to offer two significant benefits that help build markets for post-consumer polyethylene products:

• As virgin resins, each can be used in packaging film structures in combination with a high percentage of recycled content
• After mechanical recycling, the resins retain balanced physical properties, excellent processability and optimal product protection

Used in their virgin state, the resins compensate for often degraded physical performance of recycled content in film structures, suppressing odor up to 80% and improving optics up to 15%. When repurposed multiple times through mechanical recycling, the resins retain or improve their key physical performance properties, enabling reuse in applications such as stretch film, stand up pouch, multipack collation shrink and heavy duty sack. Notable benefits seen with this suite of resins after recycling include improved melt flow retention for film extrusion and reduction in oxidation over time, as well as continued odor and optics improvement. “NOVA Chemicals is helping advance a circular plastics economy through optimized polyethylene products,” said Mark Kay, performance films group manager, NOVA Chemicals. “By enabling the use of greater recycled content with our resins, we are increasing overall market demand for recyclate, while helping converters and brand owners to achieve their sustainability goals.”