Avient: TPE with recycled content for more sustainable shavers

Avient is supplying Société Bic with a recyclable thermoplastic elastomer for use in women's razors
.
In a press release, Avient officials said that when Bic engineers were asked to use more recycled material in the proposed shaver, they found one grade of Avient's reSound R brand of material.
got the answer
.

The material has a soft grip and is highly pigmentable
.
It's formulated to achieve 62 percent recycled content, helping Clichy, France-based Bic deliver on its commitment to sustainability
.

Avient material is used in the handle of the Bic Soleil Click 5, which will be available to consumers in spring 2022
.
By combining reSound R TPE with clear plastic that also contains recycled content, this interchangeable shaver has a combined recycled content of over 40%
.

"Every customer has different sustainability needs .
For a consumer brand, both aesthetics and performance are important, " Deborah Sondag, senior marketing manager at Avient, said at Fakuma 2021 on October 13
.

She added that TPE with recycled content "performs like standard grades -- there's no trade-off in quality.

"

In a press release, Bic Group Insights and Innovation Officer Thomas Brette said the new razor handle "is another imperative in our sustainability journey to explore new or alternative options to transform our products.
An exciting milestone
.
"

Last year, Bic pledged to use 50 percent non-virgin petroleum plastics in its products by 2030
.

"To achieve these goals, our R&D and procurement teams are constantly looking for innovative solutions that limit the impact of our products on the planet,
" said Thomas Brette
.

Walter Ripple, Avient's vice president of sustainability, added in the release that the partnership with Bic "is closely aligned with our commitment to sustainability as a professional formulator and our focus on helping our customers achieve their sustainability goals
.
"

Avient, which changed its name from PolyOne in July 2020, can increase the overall percentage of recycled content in additional reSound R grades to over 80%, with performance comparable to premium grades
.
Officials said the grades could replace traditional TPEs in personal care, lawn and garden, outdoor performance, footwear, office supplies, household durables and automotive applications
.

Sondag added that Avient's customers are still interested in a wide variety of sustainable materials
.

"They're looking for ways to meet their sustainability goals and commitments, and Bic is a great example," she said
.

Bic Corporation is the market leader in pens, stationery, lighters and razors
.
The company's 2020 sales were about 1.
63 billion euros ($1.
88 billion)
.

Also at Fakuma, Avient debuted new bio-filled polymer grades to strengthen the company's portfolio of sustainable solutions
.
The new reSound NF brand of bio-filled grades is based on resins such as polypropylene with 15-20% bio-based fillers
.
Filler is made from waste plant resources that would otherwise go to landfill
.

Avient Corporation is one of the world's largest manufacturers of concentrates and one of the largest distributors of compounds and resins in North America
.
The company has more than 8,000 employees worldwide
.

In 2020, Avient's sales were approximately $3.
2 billion
.
After acquiring Clariant's global concentrate concentrate business, Avient expects 2021 sales of around $4.
6 billion
.