Dyneema fibres go bio

The global science-based company, DSM, the global leader in the chemical industry, Sabic, and the leading producer of sustainable raw materials, UPM Biofuels, announced a partnership that will help to reduce the environmental footprint of Dyneema, the world’s strongest fibre. The collaboration will see Dyneema transition to bio-based feedstock leveraging Sabic’s ground-breaking Trucircle solutions for certified renewable products. As such, DSM is delivering on its commitment to improve the sustainability footprint of Dyneema, moving towards a circular, bio-based economy.

In December 2019, DSM announced ambitious sustainability targets for its Dyneema high performance fibres. This new partnership represents an important step in realizing the goal of sourcing at least 60% of its feedstock from bio-based raw material by 2030. The transition to bio-based feedstock will maintain the unique properties of Dyneema, enabling customers to adopt a more sustainable solution without compromising process efficiency or final product performance. The Dyneema bio-based material will be carrying the globally recognized ISCC Plus certification and will not require re-qualification of downstream products. Bio-based Dyneema will be available from April 2020.

UPM Biofuels produces bio-based feedstock UPM BioVerno from the residue of the pulping process. This is then processed by Sabic to make renewable ethylene under their Trucircle umbrella of solutions. Trucircle includes certified renewable products, specifically resins and chemicals from bio-based feedstock that are not in competition with the food chain and help to reduce carbon emissions. By applying a mass balancing approach1, DSM is then able to create bio-based Dyneema fibre that delivers consistent durability and performance with a reduced environmental impact. The new partnership underlines DSM’s commitment to working closely with partners and suppliers to realize a more sustainable value chain.