Covestro’s Newark, Ohio, polycarbonate compounding facility has achieved ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) PLUS certification, increasing availability of the company’s mass balanced polycarbonate products in the U.S. This achievement comes on the heels of the certification of Covestro’s Baytown, Texas, facility earlier this year and marks a major step forward in the path towards circularity for polycarbonates in the U.S.

Makrolon polycarbonate, which is compounded at Covestro’s Newark facility, is a high-grade plastic used in the automotive, electronics and healthcare industries, among others. With its ISCC PLUS certification, the site will now be able to manufacture Makrolon® RE grades, which are renewable attributed products. RE grades are produced using existing infrastructure, can contain up to 89% attributed bio-circular raw materials and have the same physical characteristics of conventional Makrolon® polycarbonate. Makrolon® RE grades are part of Covestro’s broader CQ (circular intelligence) portfolio of products, and the ISCC PLUS certification expands the company’s circular offerings available in the United States.

“This ISCC PLUS accreditation is an important milestone that offers added value to our customers and key industries,” said Samir Hifri, chairman and president of Covestro LLC. “Covestro’s polycarbonate production in the U.S. is now more sustainable – from sourcing and production in Baytown to compounding the polycarbonate in Newark. Our Makrolon RE series is a preferred option for customers looking for solutions to reach climate goals.”

Covestro’s Newark, Ohio, site is the company’s premier polycarbonate compounding facility in North America and one of six Color Competence and Design Centers globally. The facility, which is home to approximately 150 employees, produces polycarbonate and polycarbonate blends and offers technical expertise in color matching and design.

“Our team in Newark understands the ambitious circularity targets set by Covestro globally,” said Rich Rogers, Newark site manager. “Our employees recognize that we have a key role to play in making our products and production more sustainable. We are excited to contribute to the efforts in advancing Covestro’s circularity journey.”

ISCC PLUS-certified polycarbonates from Covestro’s Newark facility will be produced using a mass-balance approach in the existing production infrastructure, ultimately reducing the carbon footprint of the final product. Covestro could begin supplying select ISCC PLUS-certified products from its Newark facility in 2024.

ISCC is an internationally recognized sustainability certification for biomass and bioenergy. The standard applies to all stages of the value chain and is recognized worldwide.