Solvay, a leading global supplier of specialty materials, has entered into a strategic partnership with Hegen Pte Ltd for the use of sustainable Duradex™ polyphenyl sulfone (PPSU) mass balance attributed in Hegen’s premium line of Press-to-Close, Twist-to-Open™ (PCTO™) baby feeding bottles. The circular, non-fossil feedstock content of the PPSU grade is third-party mass balance certified, meeting the end customers' expectations for more sustainable products. Duradex™ PPSU is an amorphous, naturally amber-transparent polymer, free of artificial pigments, phthalates and bisphenols, such as BPA.

“Brand owners and manufacturers in the child care market are increasingly seeking to improve the sustainability of their products without compromising safety, efficiency or convenience,” says Guillaume Meunier, Head of Marketing, Life Solutions at Solvay Materials. “Hegen’s baby feeding and drinking bottles are widely acknowledged for their high quality and use the highest-purity materials to ensure a healthy and comfortable feeding experience for both mother and child. We are very pleased to announce that the company has decided to adopt our mass-balance certified PPSU for molding their iconic bottles.”

“We are excited about this strategic material partnership with Solvay, which will help us further reduce the environmental impact of our baby feeding bottles in line with our ambitious sustainability roadmap,” adds Yvon Bock, founder and CEO of Hegen. “The circular Duradex™ polymer exhibits the same high-performance properties as the previous material used in molding our premium Hegen PCTO™ bottles, including excellent processability and uncompromising durability, which makes it a very efficient drop-in alternative to all-fossil PPSU solutions.”

Duradex™ PPSU MB is linked to 54% allocated circular, non-fossil feedstock, which is third-party mass-balance (MB) verified under the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification PLUS (ISCC PLUS) mass balance accounting regime. The MB accounting approach provides a reliable method of tracing the feedstock content from the material production to the final application.

In addition, Solvay’s Duradex™ PPSU MB polymer is high scratch resistant and stain resistant, does not absorb odors and delivers an inherently non-stick surface. It combines exceptional hydrolytic stability and shatter-proof toughness with high heat resistance. These properties also qualify the lightweight, ergonomically shaped and wide-opening bottles for more than 1,000 steam or hot water sterilization as well as dishwasher cycles without the risk of any damage. Hegen’s PCTO baby feeding bottles will be showcased at Solvay’s booth at the Fakuma 2023 show (Booth 4213 in Hall B4) and both companies are committed to bringing the first mass balanced PPSU baby bottle to the market by 2024.