Although polyethylene is notionally one of the easiest plastics to recycle, limited amounts actually are recycled: in the US, in 2018, only 4.3% of LDPE was recycled [Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures Report Data Tables, 2018]. Novoloop has developed a process for using LDPE as a basis for creation of Oistre™, their higher performance thermoplastic polyurethane product.

Polyethylene is one of the most common polymers in the world, and simplistically is one of the easiest to recycle. However, in practice, recycling rates are very low, especially for LDPE, which is commonly used in plastic bags, food film lids and similar products, and hence often contaminated. Additionally, recycling of LDPE results in a lower quality product, which can only be recycled a few times in total.

Novoloop’s process involves degrading polyethylene into basic monomers, and purifying them, before adding them to monomers from conventional sources, to create Oistre™, a high performance thermoplastic polyurethane that matches performance characteristics of thermoplastic polyurethanes made entirely from fossil fuel sources.

Although conventional sources are still involved in the production of Oistre™, its carbon footprint is 46% lower than that of conventional thermoplastic polyurethanes, and assists in keeping polyethylene from landfill. Co-founder Miranda Wang told WIRED: “If brand owners were to adopt Oistre into their TPU applications this could prevent up to 275,000 metric tonnes of PE plastics from entering landfills and rivers every year”.

Novoloop is partnering with the City of San Jose to secure its waste polyethylene, and pursuing partnerships as a material supplier with other companies, including Bemis to explore future possibilities with their materials and technology. Novoloop feels Oistre™ is proof that there is still value in innovating with polymers and that it is a small step towards proving a circular economy is possible.

Photo by Hans Reniers on Unsplash