SABIC, a prominent global player in the chemical sector, has partnered with Lamb Weston, an internationally recognized brand in the frozen potato products market, to implement a closed-loop process. This initiative aims to develop lightweight, sustainable food and drink packaging bags utilizing a thin coextrusion film structure. Remarkably, at least 60% of the packaging derives from bio-feedstock sourced from used cooking oil (UCO).
The process begins with the collection of UCO from Lamb Weston’s production facilities, which SABIC efficiently converts into bio-feedstock. This bio-feedstock is then transformed into certified bio-renewable SABIC® HDPE (high-density polyethylene) and SUPEER™ mLLDPE (metallocene linear low-density polyethylene) polymers. The resulting packaging incorporates at least 60% UCO-based bio-renewable polymer material, part of SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE™ portfolio. Oerlemans Plastics, a member of OPACKGROUP and a specialist in flexible films and packaging, converts these polymers into a multilayer PE film tailored for Lamb Weston’s pre-fried frozen potato products.
“We are excited about the collaboration with Lamb Weston and OPACKGROUP in this closed-loop project,” states Khaled Al-Jalawi, Global Director of Circular Economy Business at SABIC. “This initiative exemplifies the concept of circularity, as it maximizes the use of UCO to generate circular polymers designed with recyclability in mind.”
The new retail packaging from Lamb Weston boasts an overall renewable feedstock content of at least 60%, certified from the polymers all the way to the film. This aligns with the widely recognized International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS mass balancing regime for tracking renewable content in materials.
Sebastiaan Besems, Vice President Commercial EMEA at Lamb Weston, remarks, “Distributors, retailers, and consumers are increasingly aware of their environmental impact, leading to a growing demand for sustainable packaging. In anticipation of this trend, we’ve developed an industry-leading bio-circular retail packaging solution for our pre-fried frozen potato products, delivering a responsible value proposition. Our new European retail pack incorporates 60% bio-circular plastic, derived from Lamb Weston’s used cooking oil, and is ISCC PLUS certified. By utilizing SABIC’s bio-renewable polymer, we achieve less and better packaging, reducing the carbon footprint of our retail bags by 30%, aligning with consumer expectations for environmentally friendly FMCG brands. This project also supports our goals to halve food waste, cut our overall product carbon footprint by 25%, and transition to more circular production by 2030.”
Laura Hanegraaf, Sales Manager at Oerlemans Plastics (a subsidiary of OPACKGROUP), adds, “This project emphasizes our commitment to promoting low carbon and renewable products within our industry, marking a significant advancement. It enables us to offer high-quality flexible film products that utilize renewable material sourced from used cooking oil.”
The collaboration has led to a 20% reduction in film thickness; the resultant bags now weigh an average of only 10 g. The use of bio-renewable SABIC® PE has resulted in approximately 30% lower carbon emissions compared to previous bags for this application. The SABIC® HDPE resin provides high strength and flexibility, while the SUPEER mLLDPE resin contributes to excellent bag sealing. Both materials meet the stringent requirements of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the U.S. Federal Drug & Food Administration (FDA) for food-contact safety.
Following thorough testing and evaluation, Lamb Weston launched the first frozen potato products packaged in bags made from Oerlemans’s multi-layer film using certified renewable PE polymers from SABIC in September in the UK and the Netherlands.
1 60% Bio-circular plastic via mass balance approach, ISCC PLUS certified, supporting the bioeconomy.
2 Carbon footprint reduction of 30% calculated against previous Lamb Weston retail packaging, consisting of 100% fossil-based material and 20% thicker PE film.