LyondellBasell (LYB), SUEZ, and Samsonite announced the creation of the “Green Grey” edition of S’Cure ECO, a new suitcase collection made from recycled plastic waste. LyondellBasell and SUEZ, through its recycling joint venture, Quality Circular Polymers (“QCP”), converted post-consumer plastic such as packaging into a high quality polypropylene.
Samsonite used this recycled plastic to create the outer shell of its new limited edition suitcase collection, which will be sold exclusively on the Samsonite.eu website on April 22 in honor of Earth Day.
“One of the keys to addressing the challenge of plastic waste is identifying new, innovative uses for used plastics. Samsonite’s unique, innovative application is a perfect use for our recycled material because it ensures used plastic does not end in the environment while providing travelers with a durable, lasting product.
This is a win-win,” said Richard Roudeix, LyondellBasell Senior Vice President of Olefins and Polyolefins for Europe, Asia and International. “We are committed to being a part of the solution to end plastic waste and welcome the opportunity to partner with respected companies like Samsonite towards this goal.”
LyondellBasell, one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world, recognizes the importance of the circular economy and the role it can play in mitigating and managing plastic waste. It’s one of the reasons why the company has taken a leading role in the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, which launched in January of this year. The company, through QCP, is taking further action to provide sustainable end products on a large scale. Leveraging the combined expertise in recycling, recovery and plastic production, LyondellBasell and SUEZ were best suited to help Samsonite conceive this industry-first innovation.
Christine Riley Miller, Samsonite’s Global Director of Sustainability sees this industry-first innovation as part of a bigger picture: “We are continuously looking for new ways to reduce our environmental footprint across our operations. Of course the research of new sustainable materials plays a key role as it allows us to combine our thirst for innovation with our commitment to sustainability. We are committed to seeking opportunities to maximize the use of recycled and recyclable materials in our products in order to pass on a better world for generations to come.”
“Our solutions cover the whole value chain to produce secondary raw materials and satisfy the highest standards, from industries to consumers. We welcome Samsonite’s initiative, developing the circular economy with a sustainable and reliable product,” commented Jean-Marc Boursier, Senior Executive Vice President of SUEZ in charge of Finance and Northern Europe Recycling & Recovery activities.
For this application, Samsonite selected a circular polypropylene grade Moplen Plus QCP189P. This material is used for a variety of applications including injection molding, which was used in creating this luggage collection. LyondellBasell developed this grade with high impact resistance, even at low temperatures, which addresses the demands required for high quality luggage.
LyondellBasell will have one of the new Samsonite suitcases on display at its booth at K-Fair in Düsseldorf, Germany on October 16-23.
