Shipping Pallets, Polystyrene Get A Sustainable Makeover

UBQ Materials, which makes a thermoplastic substitute from household waste, announced new partnerships with PepsiCo and Resirene, the largest polystyrene resin producer in Mexico. (Courtesy of UBQ Materials)
UBQ Materials, which makes a thermoplastic substitute from household waste, announced new partnerships with PepsiCo and Resirene, the largest polystyrene resin producer in Mexico. (Courtesy of UBQ Materials)


By Abigail Klein Leichman

UBQ Materials, which makes a thermoplastic substitute from household waste, announced two new partnerships.

PepsiCo, one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, will use UBQ material to develop climate-friendly shipping pallets.

Raphael Cyjon, Senior Director of Operations at PepsiCo LatAm, said this innovation “helps us on our journey through materials that replace virgin plastic while at the same time working on CO2 reduction. In addition, this differentiated material represents an alternative to the chain as a whole, especially with regard to collection, sorting, transportation and final disposal in landfills.”

Resirene, the largest polystyrene resin producer in Mexico, will produce the first-ever high-impact polystyrene with UBQ. It’s expected to be the most sustainable polystyrene in the world, incorporating 15-32 percent UBQ to offset products’ carbon emissions.

Polystyrene (such as Styrofoam) is a hydrocarbon thermoplastic used to make products for industries including food and beverage, healthcare, electronics, construction and advertising.

The new polystyrene will be used in higher-value items ranging from multi-use razor handles to signage. Resirene has already started to sample the new material with clients.

Based in Israel, UBQ Materials converts unsorted household and municipal landfill-destined waste into a climate-positive replacement for plastic that can be incorporated into standard manufacturing processes without additional machinery or materials.

“The plastic-free movement, including government regulations banning products such as single-use straws and plastic bags, has propelled the polystyrene market to adapt and evolve. We have reached a new level in terms of reducing our product’s environmental impact with UBQ inside,” said Sergio Paredes Castañeda, CEO of Resirene.

“Our goal is to close the loop on the production-to-waste process and create a circular economy that takes the seemingly endless accumulation of waste and converts it into a resource,” said Albert Douer, chairman and co-CEO of UBQ Materials.

“This partnership with Resirene allows us to incorporate our climate-positive thermoplastic into various products, offsetting emissions and offering a viable end-of-life solution for waste.”

UBQ’s customers include global retail solutions provider Mainetti; Daimler, the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz; and Arcos Dorados, the world’s largest franchisee of McDonald’s restaurants across Latin America.

Produced in association with ISRAEL21c.

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