Adligenswil, Switzerland, January 2021 – Sekisui Alveo, European manufacturer of high-quality polyolefin foams, has taken a further step in demonstration of its commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainable material sourcing. The company now offers its Alveolit TA foam products optionally in compliance with the requirements of ISCC PLUS (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) based on a mass balance approach.

ISCC certification

Sekisui Alveo decided to implement the mass balance approach and selected International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) as the most suitable solution to face the challenge of sustainability. Offering solutions to address sustainability requirements for all de-forestation free feedstocks and markets, ISCC is a leading global certification system. It is approved by the European Commission, complies with the requirements of RED (Renewable Energy Directive), and contributes to the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). The objectives of the ISCC are to contribute to the implementation of environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable production and to promote bio- and circular economy and the use of all kinds of de-forestation free biomass in global supply chains.

ISCC PLUS certified production plant in Roermond

After being successfully audited by a recognised independent certification body (TÜV NORD CERT GmbH), the Sekisui Alveo polymer foam production plant in Roermond (Netherlands) received ISCC PLUS certification in July 2020 and is thus authorised to handle ISCC-certified materials as a processing unit.

ISCC PLUS certification ensures transparency and traceability along the entire supply chain and verifies that the certificate holder meets the prescribed environmental and social standards.

Alveolit TA – ISCC PLUS certified based on mass balance approach

In the manufacturing process of Alveolit TA foam, an ISCC-certified polymer mix contributing to sustainability is used in conjunction with a conventional fossil-based polymer. Following the rules of the ISCC mass balance approach, an equivalent amount of produced foam can be certified as sustainable. Along the raw material supply chain, a part of the fossil feedstock is replaced by the converted biomass based on certified forest waste. This biomass does not compete with the food chain and comes from local European and deforestation-free sources. Along the whole supply chain, ISCC standards guarantee the protection of biodiverse and carbon-rich areas with strict requirements on human, labour, and land rights.

The mass balance approach

Nowadays, the so-called mass balance has become a widely adopted approach in the chemical industry. As a milestone on the journey towards a sustainable economy, it is designed to trace the flow of materials through a complex value chain. Since different types of feedstocks are typically blended in the manufacturing process, physical segregation of sustainable content is often practically and economically infeasible. The mass balance approach makes it possible to track the amount of sustainable content in the value chain and attribute it to products based on verifiable bookkeeping. For companies using the mass balance approach, ISCC PLUS certification verifies that the mass balance accounting follows predefined and transparent rules. Under ISCC requirements, mass balance calculations and product sustainability declarations are audited by an ISCC-recognised independent body.

Sekisui Alveo is the first manufacturer of physically crosslinked polyolefin roll foam offering a polyethylene foam product certified in accordance with the requirements of ISCC PLUS under the chain of custody option using the mass balance approach. 

Unchanged quality and high-performance properties of the foam

The responsible sourcing of sustainable materials supports the contribution of Alveolit TA foam to bioeconomy without changing the production process or the performance or technical properties of the product. There is no need for any additional resource-intensive product re-qualification or re-certification by customers who have been using the material in their conversion processes and applications.

Using ISCC PLUS certified Alveolit TA foams provide the added value to increase the overall environmental profile of the complete design.

Part of a broad sustainability strategy

In its ongoing efforts to support sustainability, Sekisui Alveo considers its products throughout their supply chain: from raw material sourcing to manufacturing and final application. The sustainability benefits realised in the initial stages of material sourcing and production are passed on to customers further down the supply chain. Additional benefits are realised in the application phase. Many of the company’s high-quality foams are used as sustainable, resource-conserving, and energy-saving solution in a wide variety of applications. High quality Polyolefin foams contribute to such applications especially due to their flexibility, softness, light weight, excellent insulating qualities, and long-term performance. Typical application fields include building and construction, industrial, medical, transportation, and sports facilities.