Saudi Arabian petrochemical giant Sabic (Riyadh; www.sabic.com) is collaborating with South Korean global food company CJ Cheiljedang (Seoul; www.cj.net) to produce what Sabic calls the world’s first rigid packaging bowls made from a food-contact grade that is part of its Trucircle portfolio.

CJ Cheiljedang is using the ISCC Plus certified renewable polypropylene in the production of its ready-to-eat Hetbahn brand of instant rice noodles. The rice bowls are manufactured by sheet extrusion and subsequent thermoforming, Sabic said. CJ Cheiljedang has already introduced the product at a large grocery chain in South Korea. 

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Sabic’s Trucircle material provides critical attributes of dimensional stability and heat resistance. The used bowls can be returned into the rigid PP recycling stream to recover their material value for circularity, Sabic added. The polymer has a certified renewable content of 25% and is derived from bio-based, second-generation sources.