DSM and Neste in Strategic Partnership to Create High-Performance Plastics from Sustainable Feedstock

The Netherlands Royal DSM and Finland’s Neste have formed a strategic partnership to with the aim of producing high-performance plastics from sustainable feedstock in support of the industry’s transition to a circular economy.

Key to this collaboration is DSM Engineering Materials (U.S. office in Troy, Mich.) which will start replacing a significant portion of the fossil feedstock used to date in the manufacture of its high-performance engineering resins portfolio with feedstock produced from recycled waste plastics and/or 100% biobased hydrocarbons. The company’s  polymers are used in such industries as automotive, electronics and packaging.

Over the short term, the collaboration aims to replace several thousand tons of fossil feedstock in the production of polymers with alternative, sustainable feedstock: biobased and waste plastic based hydrocarbons.

Neste produces its biobased hydrocarbons entirely from renewable raw materials, such as waste and residue oils and fats. For the production of waste plastic derived feedstock, Neste focuses on plastics that cannot be mechanically recycled and have previously been directed to incineration and landfilling.

Thanks to being a drop-in replacement to commonly-used fossil feedstock in the polymers production, Neste’s products are suitable for existing production infrastructures and enable DSM to produce more sustainable products with consistently high quality using its existing processes. All of the chemically recycled and biobased materials within the value chain will have the globally recognized ISCC Plus certification and will not require re-qualification.

Said president of DSM Engineering Materials Shruti Singhal, “We have a long history of delivering tangible proof points of our commitment to sustainability. As a next step we are going to even further reduce our footprint and will offer a full alternative range of our existing portfolio based on bio- and/or recycled-based materials by 2030. Together with our upstream partner Neste and other value chain partners we’re ready to drive our industry forward, seize the sustainable opportunities ahead, and deliver on our purpose of creating brighter lives for all.”

Mercedes Alonso, executive v.p. for Neste’s Renewable Polymers and Chemicals said, “Neste and DSM are frontrunners in providing sustainable solutions to the market. Both companies have a similar sense of urgency towards creating a healthier future for our children. Neste is very pleased to announce this partnership with DSM through which we can further accelerate the industry transformation towards a more sustainable, circular economy. It is exciting to see how our 100% biobased and waste plastic based products enable DSM to produce its high performance polymers portfolio with a reduced environmental footprint.”