Borouge to debut child-friendly type of plastic

The plastics maker Borouge said on Saturday that it would introduce new products aimed at the children’s market, including toys and push chairs, at an industry exhibition in Dubai.

Abu Dhabi-based Borouge is a joint venture between the state-run energy firm Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and Austria’s petrochemical company Borealis.

The products to be launched at Arabplast 2015 include a heavy-duty copolymer that is also approved for contact with food and children by the United States Food and Drug Administration, the state news agency Wam reported yesterday. Its uses include strollers, high chairs and large plastic toys. A second material can be used for houseware. A third product can be used for “cosmetics, personal care, household and industrial chemical packaging”, the company said.

The materials allow manufacturers to reduce their carbon emissions and production costs, Borouge said.

“Our focus on innovative and sustainable solutions will drive our growth and that of our customers,” said Youssef Taha, the vice president of Borouge’s moulding marketing centre.

“We strive to create solutions with higher efficiency in every way, in material selection, energy consumption and carbon emission.”

Borouge said last week that it plans to reach a production capacity of 4.5 million tonnes a year as it goes through a US$4.5 billion expansion despite the recent drop in oil prices.

Its current capacity is about 2 million tonnes a year.

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