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A Circular Economy for Plastics

Exploring new approaches to plastics recycling and resource efficiency

Increasing awareness of limited natural resources has generated support for the circular economy as a necessary alternative to the current linear economic model. Clariant has therefore launched a global circular plastics economy initiative, highlighting circularity as one of the key sustainability topics at Clariant. We at Clariant Additives are striving to support our customers in this field and we want to contribute to a circular plastics economy with our solutions.

Our contribution

1. Improving our Additives

Supporting the industry with circular compatible solutions and with designing products viable for separation, recovery.

2. Improving Recyclability

Creating more efficient cycles across the value chains by helping to improve yield, limit or avoid degradation, discoloration and odor.

3. Improving consumption

Increasing responsible consumption with the use of renewables to help reduce CO2 emissions caused by fossil resources.

Our success so far confirms that we are on the right track

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    Design for Recycling Carpets and Textile Flooring
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    Mechanical Recycling of Flame Retarded Plastics
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    Sustainable Waxes for Bioplastics
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    Media Release Bio-additives for Sustainable Future 10-11 Dialogue 2020 EN
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    Media Release_Additives enabling recyclability of plastics waste_20190919_EN
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    Chemical Watch halogenfree recycled plastics 202003 EN
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    Media Release De-demonizing Plastic Use 201905 EN
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Our stories

Terra Line
Renewable feedstock alternatives to fossil-based solutions
Based on non-food-competing renewable feedstock, Clariant’s certified sustainable biomass-based flame retardants, waxes and adhesives help to reduce fossil resource intensity and enable more sustainable material choices.
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Bio-based additives
Expanding the potential and reach of biopolymers
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EcoCircle
Advancing plastics recycling to reach global goals
One of the most important Sustainable Development Goals the international community pursues concerns better handling of resources and waste. New methods of plastics recycling, often called advanced recycling, can substantially contribute – and so can Clariant by improving their chemistry.
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25th Anniversary
The ignition for Clariant’s sustainability passion
It’s a bold claim indeed but one for which our halogen-free flame retardant for plastics, Exolit® OP, proudly takes credit.
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PERFORMANCE ADDITIVES
What cookies, pasta and plastics (now) have in common
When making cookies or homemade pasta, it’s natural to reuse scraps of leftover dough by adding them to fresh dough. Similar scraps are generated during the production of plastic films. Putting this »dough« to the same good circular use is difficult, however – unless it’s »sprinkled« with one of our special EcoCircle additives.
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Together towards a circular economy
Founding Member
Alliance to End Plastics Waste
Ending plastic waste is ambitious. But it is through collaboration and collective action that this complex problem can be solved.
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Joined in 2021
EU Circular Plastics Alliance
The alliance aims to enhance plastics recycling in line with the objectives of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan and the Green Deal program.
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PCEP
Polyolefin Circular Economy Platform
PCEP is committed to transforming from a linear to a circular economy based on three principles: designing out waste; keeping products and materials in use; and recycling into high-quality new raw materials.
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WBCSD
World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Member companies and WBCSD are accelerating the development of business solutions for challenges with energy, food systems, nature, living spaces, mobility, circular economy, and social impacts.
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Clariant's initiatives

»We at Clariant strive to provide our customers and the full plastics value chain with a wider range of solutions to achieve ambitious targets and to jointly create the scale and the impact that can drive a true shift towards a circular economy.«

Nicola Lelli, Head Strategic Marketing BU Additives
SUSTAINABILITY
Discover EcoCircle – our circular plastics economy initiative
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Portfolio Value Program
Sustainability designators in product names help customers to make decisions
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Sustainability
EcoTain® – Our flagship label for sustainability excellence
The journey to a better tomorrow starts by addressing challenges today. We live in a world today faced with a growing number of critical issues and increasing demands.
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Strong partners to lead the change

Fraunhofer
Lavergne
Floreon
Neste
  •
    September 19, 2019
    Clariant additives enabling recyclability of plastics waste while sustaining valuable properties
    Through a “Symphony of Collaboration” with partners along the full plastics value chain, Clariant is taking proactive steps in addressing the problem of plastic pollution with new solutions for diverse industry sectors, from packaging – the main use of plastics – to textile floorings and consumer electronics. Complementing its “fit for reuse” solutions announced August 21 where Clariant demonstrated how its additives are recyclable, it now showcases the next level, turning the spotlight on how its additives can make it easier to recycle post-production and post-consumer plastic waste while keeping the material’s performance properties.
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  • August 21, 2019
    Clariant making its Additives fit for reuse, halogen-free flame retardant allowing re- and up-cycling of PA6 & PA66
    As announced end June, Clariant is taking action to tackle the challenge of plastic pollution with new solutions and proactive steps to create a more sustainable plastics industry through a “Symphony of Collaboration”. Clariant is supporting the industry with environmentally-compatible solutions and in designing materials and products which are easier to separate, recover, and reuse. One way to approach this challenge is to improve our additives, making them fit for re-use while avoiding material performance degradation.
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  • November 06, 2018
    Clariant and Neste join forces to develop sustainable industrial solutions
    Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, has signed an agreement for a new partnership with Neste, the world’s leading provider of sustainable renewable diesel and an expert in delivering drop-in renewable chemical solutions. By using Neste’s renewable hydrocarbons in its product development, Clariant increases the number of products in its portfolio that are derived from renewable raw materials. As a result, sustainable solutions become more accessible to a variety of industries, including adhesives, plastics and coatings.
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  • October 18, 2019
    Clariant launches new bio-based additives to reduce resource consumption in plastic loops at K 2019
    Clariant unveils new high-performance additives promoting reduction in the consumption of fossil resources, to support the creation of value chain cycles which utilize viable and sustainable renewable sources and combat climate change.
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Clariant Sustainability Designators – highlighting and promoting sustainability with trade name suffixes

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    Renewable Feedstock​
    Terra
    Products with significant (at least 50% RCI) content based on renewable resources with a mass-balance certification or real renewable content
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  • Circular Economy
    Circle
    Products with the primary purpose to support our customers and/or the value chain in reduce, re-use or recycle plastic products, showcasing a beneficial performance
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  • Natural Ingredients
    Vita
    Products from natural origin with real renewable content at least 98% RCI
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Our business lines

  •
    Performance Additives
    Additive solutions for the plastics and coatings industry. We started with single components for a multitude of challenges like thermal stabilization, sun and oxidation protection as well as flame retardancy and process stabilization, which still form the base of our portfolio. Listening closely to our customers and analyzing market needs, we used our long-term expertise and profound technical knowledge to develop special additive combinations which are designed and optimized for the needs of particular segments and applications. As simply by adding them you profit from a multitude of benefits, we call them »AddWorks« – because that is exactly what they do. As reliable, tested, and ready-to-use solutions, our AddWorks product family lowers total cost of ownership, reduces process complexity and allows you to fully focus your workforce and assets on your business. Discover the multitude of opportunities they offer for your line of work and make a tangible difference in your market!
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  • Flame Retardants
    Flame retardants help to save lives by slowing down or stopping the spread of fire or reducing its intensity. They are used in anything from phones and curtains to car seats and buildings. Clariant’s halogen-free flame retardants are produced to modern standards in Germany, Switzerland and China. Their brand name Exolit® has become a byword for sustainable fire safety.
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  • Advanced Surface Solutions
    Clariant is a leading global player in the development, production and distribution of wax additives and performance polymers.
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Learn more about sustainability at Clariant

Sustainability
LEARN MORE ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY AT CLARIANT
Whether the world must become sustainable is a question we’ve long stopped asking ourselves. We are much too busy working on how this can be done. We have set out with passionate people, to create leading-edge operations and innovative solutions that mean progress for everyone today while sustaining the world for our children tomorrow.
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Bio Economy
Our commitment...
to a sustainable and circular bio-economy reflects our goals to develop innovative, sustainable, and bio-based chemicals, as well as achieve our ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets.
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