A VALGROUP, a leading company in the production sector, plastic processing and recycling, recently adopted ISCC Plus certification to ensure sustainability in its processes. ISCC Plus is a widely recognized certification system, which uses the mass balance approach to attribute raw material inputs to product output, ensuring transparency and traceability. With this commitment, a VALGROUP strengthens the circular economy by maximizing resource reuse and minimizing waste, significantly contributing to a more sustainable future.
ISCC Plus and the Circular Economy
ISCC PLUS
ISCC PLUS is a voluntary certification system that supports the transition to a circular economy and sustainable bioeconomy. Applicable to different sectors, like food, portion, chemicals and plastics, it guarantees transparency and traceability of raw materials. Benefits include flexibility, global recognition and encouragement of continuous improvement.
Circular Economy
The circular economy seeks to maximize the efficient use of resources, reducing waste. Benefits include environmental sustainability, resource saving, job creation, innovation and economic resilience. Applications span fashion, technology, civil construction, agriculture and packaging.
Applications in the Packaging Sector
- Reusable Packaging: Returnable bottles and durable shipping boxes.
- Biodegradable and Compostable Packaging: Made from materials such as corn starch and sugar cane.
- Recyclable Packaging: Paper, cardboard and recyclable plastics such as PET and HDPE.
- Material Reduction: Minimalist design and flexible packaging.
- Return and Recycling Systems: Collection programs and deposit and return schemes.
Extend™ Technology and the ISCC Mass Balance
A VALGROUP in partnership with Exxon Mobil, featuring Exxtend™ technology, introduces an advanced recycling plastic to the global market that can greatly help the circular economy, because:
- for every ton of certified circular polymers it sells, prevents more than a ton of plastic waste from being disposed of again at the end of its life (for example, landfills and incineration); e
- for every ton of plastic waste it processes, society reduces the need to process approximately one ton of raw materials of fossil origin.
ExxonMobil's Exxtend™ technology is an advanced recycling approach that uses processes to break down plastic waste into its original building blocks. This allows plastics to be recycled more efficiently and sustainably., contributing to the reduction of waste and the promotion of the circular economy.
The process consists of allowing the recycled material (figure below) enter the production chain together with virgin material, that is, fruit of fossil-based oil processing. Instead of using mechanical recycling, where used plastics are cut and melted to form a limited line of new products, Exxon Mobil's pyrolysis process uses heat to transform plastic waste at the molecular level into raw materials for use in manufacturing a wide variety of new products. These new residues have similar characteristics to the virgin product.
Source: mass_balance_attribution_white_paper (Exxon Mobil)
The mass balance methodology, such as that employed by the ISCC PLUS certification system, deals with this complexity by drawing a box around the entire system and analyzing the balance between the inputs and outputs of the entire system. The mass balance methodology quantifies the value of replacing raw materials of fossil origin with more circular raw materials and attributes the beneficial impact to products produced from this complex system.
For example, in accordance with the mandatory provisions of the ISCC PLUS methodology, recyclers/manufacturers allocate usable raw materials, which are produced from plastic waste, to fluxes that can be used for the production of polymers, but only up to the physical size of the streams flowing within the system. The integrity of ISCC PLUS certification is based on these and other auditable boundary conditions.
Partnership with biO3 Environment and Sustainability
biO3 Meio Ambiente e Sustentabilidade had the opportunity to take part in this certification process and feels rewarded and grateful to VALGROUP for the partnership and proud of the results achieved.
With the support of biO3, a VALGROUP reinforces its commitment to the circular economy, increasing transparency and traceability in your production chain. Gaskets, These pioneering companies are paving the way to a greener, more sustainable future, aligning with global sustainability and innovation standards. This collaboration not only strengthens the environmental credentials of the VALGROUP, but also highlights the importance of solid partnerships to build a better world.
Learn more about ISCC and Circular Economy in our Blog.