UBQ Materials partners with Resirene to create the first worldwide Polystyrene with UBQ
UBQ Materials, a cleantech developer of advanced materials made from waste, today announced a partnership with Resirene, the largest Polystyrene resin producer in Mexico, to produce the first worldwide circular grade high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) compound with UBQ inside, which will make it the most sustainable in the world.
Resirene, a large polymers producer, serves numerous market segments, including polymer applications for food & beverage, healthcare, and medical products, electronics, construction, and advertising, among others. The company has made significant R&D and production investments as it foresees increased demand for sustainable products. UBQ will be used in higher-value items ranging from multi-use razor handles to signage.
“The plastic-free movement, including government regulations banning products such as single-use straws and plastic bags, has propelled the polystyrene market to adapt and evolve. There is now a continuum of sustainability within polystyrenes, ranging from starch-containing products to those made with recycled polystyrene,” said Sergio Paredes Castañeda, CEO of Resirene.
“We have reached a new level in terms of reducing our product’s environmental impact with UBQ inside, thereby allowing our customers to jointly achieve sustainable loans, enabling the polystyrene industry to strive as a whole towards circular economies,” the executive mentioned.
UBQ Materials converts unsorted household and municipal landfill-destined waste into UBQ, a climate-positive, cost-competitive replacement for plastic. UBQ is a bio-based drop-in material that can be incorporated into standard manufacturing processes without additional machinery or materials. The production of UBQ decreases the landfilling of waste, preventing methane emissions and curtailing the leakage of toxic substances into the soil.
“The ‘lifecycle’ of products is a misnomer – until now, products were manufactured, used, and discarded – not a cycle at all, but rather a straight line. Our goal is to close the loop on the production-to-waste process and create a circular economy that takes the seemingly endless accumulation of waste and converts it into a resource,” said Albert Douer, Chairman and co-CEO of UBQ Materials. “This partnership with Resirene allows us to incorporate our climate-positive thermoplastic into various products, offsetting emissions and offering a viable end-of-life solution for waste.”
After extensive R&D trials and testing to develop the new material with UBQ, Resirene has already started to sample the new material with clients. Initial results suggest that customers find the added environmental value meaningful, even when one accounts for the variable of product costs.