The PE-X pipes for JRG Sanipex include 10% renewable raw materials using the BornewablesTM brand of bio-based polyethylenes produced by Borealis, one of the world’s leading suppliers of sustainable polyolefin solutions.
Vegetable oil waste as a basis
Unlike renewable feedstocks produced with agricultural crops grown for food and livestock feed, the Bornewables are made of renewably-sourced feedstocks derived solely from waste and residue streams: from vegetable oil production as well as oil waste and residues such as used cooking oil from the the food industry. The raw materials used are traceable. For the PE-X pipes from GF Piping Systems, they come from Stegnunsund in Sweden.
Mass balance as an approach in production
Borealis does not physically separate fossil and bio-based materials in the production process. This would be immensely complex. Instead, the mass balance approach is employed. This ensures that identical quantities of fossil raw materials are replaced by renewable raw materials. The accuracy and traceability of this process is checked by ISCC, a renowned certification body for mass balancing.