Extrusion International 3-2025-USA

32 Extrusion International 3/2025 32 INDUSTRY NEWS Earth Day Reaffirms Year-Round Commitment to Sustainability and Innovation The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) celebrated the progress being made across the plastics value chain to build a more sustainable, circular future – not just on Earth Day – April 22, 2025 –, but every day around the globe. From invest - ments in all forms of recycling to the development of lighter, more ef- ficient materials that reduce waste and emissions, the industry is con- sistently driving innovation to keep plastic in the circular economy and out of the environment. “Sustainability isn’t a one-day effort, but a daily commitment across our industry,” said Patrick Krieger, PLASTICS’ Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Pol - icy. “On Earth Day, we’re proud to spotlight the real solutions already at work – from the engineers de- signing products with longer life cycles and lower environmental impact to the people operating recycling facilities. The plastics in - dustry is advancing technology, re- ducing waste, strengthening U.S. manufacturing, and supporting a more robust recycling infrastruc- ture that sustains jobs across the country.” 2025 Plastic Sustainability Innovation Award Winners Announced The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) announced the winners of its „2025 Plastic Sustainability Innovation Awards“, recognizing outstanding innovations in plastics manufacturing that deliver environ- mental advantages in design, mate- rial, and end-of-life management. PLASTICS’ Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Policy, Patrick Krieger, congratulated the win- ners, stating: “Congratulations to all this year’s winners. These com - panies represent the innovation driving the plastics industry forward and advancing sustainability. Their achievements are a testament to the incredible progress being made across our industry.” Sustainable Innovation in Design Award PureCycle is the winner of the de- sign award for PureFive™ resin. Pu - reCycle uses a dissolution recycling process developed by The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) that sepa - rates color, odor, other plastics, and additives from PCR polypropylene waste feedstock to transform it into PureFive™ resin. This purifica - tion process helps close the loop on recycled plastics while making recycled polypropylene more acces- sible at scale to companies seeking more sustainable materials in their products. In 2024, PureFive™ resin was successfully used in fiber, injec - tion molding, and thermoforming applications. “PureCycle is honored to receive this award from the Plastics Industry Association,” said Tamsin Ettefagh, Chief Sustainability Officer and Vice President of Government for PureCycle Technologies. “The path to solving the plastic waste prob- lem is paved with innovations, and our team at PureCycle is proud to be part of that solution. With our dissolution-based recycling process, we’re focused on providing a sus- tainable, drop-in solution that em- powers our customers to achieve their sustainability goals.” Sustainable Innovation in Materials Award GreenMantra Technologies is the winner of the materials award for its CERANOVUS® specialty poly - mer additive. GreenMantra has developed the first commercially scaled molecular recycling tech- nology, converting 100% waste plastics into high-performance syn- thetic waxes and polymer additives. Unlike standard recycled plastics, CERANOVUS® additives are molec - ularly engineered through a propri- etary process that breaks down long carbon chains in recycled polyolefin plastics into tailored shorter-chain polymers and waxes. The result: functional additives that enhance product performance, improve manufacturing efficiency, and drive greater sustainability. By seamlessly integrating into existing manufacturing processes, CERANOVUS enables industries to incorporate more recycled content while maintaining—or even improv- ing—material quality. “We are thrilled to receive the Plastic Sustainability Innovation Award,” said GreenMantra Tech - nologies’ CEO, Domenic Di Mondo. “This recognition highlights the in- credible work of the GreenMantra team and the real-world impact of our CERANOVUS polymer additives. With proven commercial success in roofing, paving, and drainage pipe applications, and clear environmen- tal and market benefits, this inno - vation is reshaping how recycled materials are used in critical infra- structure. It’s a powerful example of how manufacturers can reimagine product formulations to enhance performance, improve processing Patrick Krieger