CirculariTeam®

Striving for meaningful change

Around the world, the linear consumption of material resources is driving several urgent challenges – including natural resource depletion, climate change, and environmental pollution. The time for change is now. To tackle these issues effectively, stakeholders from across society and throughout industry need to work together to adopt and influence more sustainable practices.

At Avient, we’re dedicated to securing the future availability of natural resources and maximizing the value from the limited resources available. In line with these values, our Protective Materials business has committed to several ambitious sustainability targets. Innovations such as bio-based Dyneema® are already enabling partners and downstream customers to reduce their carbon footprint while maintaining the same trusted performance.

Sharing solutions to reach our goals

Now, to further improve the impact of our protective products across the value chain, we’ve helped launch a cross-industry coalition, known as CirculariTeam®, to address the recycling and repurposing of end-of-use products made with Dyneema®, an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (HMPE). Formed by partners from different industries, the coalition aims to drive the transition towards renewable bio- and recycled based resources within its respective industries. CirculariTeam® provides a common platform to share knowledge, resources, and technical solutions with the aim to close the loop on the world’s strongest fiber. 

All members are committed to move quickly and have a shared drive to collaborate and help each other improve. To streamline the efforts, the coalition has been divided into three Industry Segments (Fiber/Ropes/Nets, UD/ Ballistics, and Textiles and Clothing) with representatives leading each area. The coalition is built on an initial five-year timeline and the Parties will focus on addressing seven primary themes related to the circularity of products made with HMPE. These seven themes and focus areas are listed below.

CirculariTeam® Focus Areas

• Reverse logistics: retrieving end-of-use HMPE products and channeling them to facilities that can reuse, process, and/or recycle it.
• Recycle and reuse: establishing homogenous waste streams for post-consumer waste and developing effective reuse, refurbishing, reprocessing, and/or recycling solutions.
• Efficiency in production processes: reducing waste during production and optimizing manufacturing processes accordingly.
• Separation of waste into material components: separating blended materials and products in a cost-effective and waste-conscious way.
• Design for circularity: product designs that facilitate end-of-use repurposing, recycling, or repair, and that increase the product lifetime.
• Regulation: driving global standards for returning and recycling products, educating the industry, and influencing behavioral changes.
• Information sharing: driving transparency and accountability around raw material use and product applications.

A brighter future on the horizon

Together with our coalition partners, we’ll continue to define our milestones and ambitions, review and evaluate progress, and support each other to enable circularity through the whole value chain. In this way, we’ll deliver solutions and growth that benefits both businesses and society at large.