At Chinaplas 2011, the Innovative Plastics strategic business unit of SABIC today announced a new milestone in its expanding sustainability efforts to provide customers with a diverse portfolio of high-performance, environmentally responsible materials. Further evidencing its commitment to validating its ecological claims, the company is now one of the first to receive Environmental Claims Validation (ECV) from Underwriters Laboratories Environment (ULE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Certification was given to Innovative Plastics’ new Noryl RN0401 resin – which contains at least 20 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) content – after successfully completed the demanding ULE validation process. This achievement represents another major step in Innovative Plastics’ pioneering efforts to support its customers’ sustainability programs with environmentally sound advanced materials solutions.
Receiving ULE certification follows Innovative Plastics’ fourth-quarter 2010 introduction of its rigorous new validation process for sustainable materials and applications. The program utilizes a Sustainable Product Scorecard, developed in partnership with GreenOrder – a third-party environmental sustainability consulting firm – and has already verified the environmental benefits of seven of the company’s sustainable product families.
“With growing demand for environmentally responsible products, customers are looking for exceptional materials that have been validated according to recognized standards,” said Tom Hartle, Noryl resin global marketing director, Innovative Plastics. “Innovative Plastics is being very proactive in this area by utilizing respected third parties such as GreenOrder and Underwriters Laboratories – together with our own methodologies – to validate those products that are critical to our customers’ success. It’s an excellent approach to ensuring that our sustainable materials continue to offer exceptional value and true solutions to tough environmental challenges.”
ULE’s methodology includes audits at the OEM manufacturing level and at the PCR supply chain level, including formula design, manufacturing control system, and sourcing practices to ensure credibility of the PCR content.
ULE-certified Noryl RN0401 resin, containing 20 percent PCR and meeting the UL94 V0 standard at 2.0 mm, is an excellent candidate for a variety of electronic housings, components and power adaptors. This grade is part of a planned family of Noryl PCR resins aimed at the electrical/electronics industry. Two brand-new Noryl resin PCR products are also on track for third-party validation.
