Borealis made signicant progress on its journey towards a circular economy in 2024, with major increases in both capacity and feedstock processing. Our latest Annual Report shows circular production capacity rising by 18% compared to the previous year, reaching 227,900 metric tons, while the volume of circular feedstock processed nearly doubled to 221,200 metric tons.
Alongside these capacity increases, Borealis strengthened its circular product portfolio, supporting customers across an even wider range of sectors to reduce their environmental impact. New introductions included ten Bornewables™ grades based on renewable feedstock, seven Borcycle™ C grades based on chemical recycling, and four Borcycle™ M grades based on advanced mechanical recycling, as well as materials designed for reuse and recycling. This progress has been achieved despite a challenging economic climate and ongoing uncertainty around regulation in Europe, where short-term demand for recycled polymers has stagnated.
Key capacity and technology milestones in 2024
Borealis’ signicant increase in circular production capacity in 2024 was underpinned by a number of strategic investments and acquisitions.
The acquisition of Integra Plastics AD in Bulgaria added more than 20,000 metric tons of advanced mechanical recycling capacity. In Beringen, Belgium, the construction of a new semi-commercial compounding line was announced, expanding our recyclate processing capabilities and providing valuable operational experience and technological insight into recyclate handling.
We also invested EUR 4.5 million in upgrading a steam cracker in Porvoo, Finland to enable increased use of circular and renewable feedstocks, and signed a long-term supply agreement with TOMRA to ensure a consistent supply of sustainable raw materials for recycling operations. Borealis also formed a new partnership with eFuels-leader Innium who converts captured carbon emissions into feedstocks for the production of plastics with a low carbon footprint.
Circular progress across products and applications
Important progress was made across Borealis’ circular portfolios in 2024, with product launches, key approvals, and breakthrough applications across core markets.
In consumer goods, we secured FDA clearance for selected Borcycle™ M grades to be used in food and cosmetics packaging.
In automotive, we launched a Borcycle M-based glass-ber reinforced PP grade with 65% PCR. In addition, a collaboration with Neste and Covestro advanced the end-of-life processing of tires, enabling them to be chemically recycled into materials that can be used in new car parts such as headlamps or grilles.
In infrastructure, a value chain collaboration with Pipelife and Wiener Wasser led to chemically recycled drinking water pipes being installed in Austria.
In the energy sector, we introduced a rst-of-its-kind Borcycle M-based jacketing solution for low- and medium-voltage cables.
Borealis achieved another important milestone with the rst commercial sales from its Borvida™ portfolio of circular base chemicals. Borvida C, made from chemically recycled post-consumer waste, and Borvida B Ethylene, derived from non-food waste biomass, were sold for the rst time in 2024, helping to advance circularity in the chemicals supply chain.
“We’re proud of the substantial progress we made this year – growing our circular capacity and serving our customers with bespoke solutions ,” says Dirk Langhammer, Borealis Vice President Circular Economy Solutions. “These achievements show we’re not just talking about circularity— we’re executing our plans as part of our We4Customers strategy through innovation, investment, and ambitious partnerships . We deliver timely, value-added solutions that support our customers to become more sustainable.”
Driving circularity from design to end-of-life
These advances reect Borealis’ approach to enable circularity across the value chain—from developing materials which are more resource- and processing-ecient and designed with maximum recyclability in mind, to the increased the use of mechanically- and chemically-recycled and renewable feedstocks, and continuously improving end-of-life recycling technologies.
Borealis also drives the development of waste collection infrastructure in regions where such systems are lacking. In Indonesia, Project STOP, co-founded with Systemiq, creates sustainable waste management systems that prevent plastics from leaking into the environment and oceans. From its launch in 2017 to the end of 2024, it has provided waste collection access to over 517,000 people, collected 79,000 metric tons of waste—including 12,000 metric tons of plastic—and created around 280 full-time jobs in the local waste sector.
Looking ahead
Borealis remains committed to help its customers adopt more circular practices with a full portfolio of highquality circular solutions for key end markets. With deep expertise in technology, application development, and collaboration across the value chain, we are well positioned to unlock new opportunities for innovation that drive margin growth and support the transition from a linear to a truly circular plastics industry.
Source: borealisgroup.com
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