#Recycling / Circular Economy

2020-09-24

Borealis receives European Investment Bank loan for development of circular economy solutions for plastics

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Borealis have successfully closed a benchmark financing agreement that supports the Borealis research, development and innovation (RDI) programme in the circular economy sphere. The EIB will provide a EUR 250 million loan supporting Borealis’ multi-year investment programme in the area of plastics circularity, in line with its objectives to support innovation, climate action and sustainability.

EIB grants EUR 250 million in funding for Borealis’ research, development and innovation (RDI) programme

Loan to boost Borealis research and development efforts in propelling the industry towards plastics circularity

Borealis corporate sustainability strategy in close alignment with goals of European Green Deal and EU Plastics Strategy

The loan enables Borealis to intensify the at its Innovation Centres in Austria, Sweden and Finland. Polyolefins produced by Borealis are used in a wide range of applications in consumer products, packaging, power transmission cabling, and industrial and construction materials.

Borealis employee working on large compounding line in Linz, Austria © 2020 Borealis

As a leading provider of innovative polyolefins solutions, Borealis aims to make its own core business more circular. The circular economy is one of three key areas in the new Borealis 2035 Group Strategy which was announced earlier this year. Borealis has been at the forefront of industry efforts to accelerate the transformation to a circular economy of plastics. Its proprietary Borstar®, Borlink™ and Borceed ™ technologies have recently been enriched by ™, an evolving technology that enables the production of high-quality recycled polyolefins (rPOs), and ™, a portfolio of circular polyolefins produced with renewable feedstock derived entirely from waste and residue streams. Borealis has already begun working with value chain partners in recent years to develop and launch innovative, value-adding circular solutions in a variety of industries, including energy, automotive and consumer packaging. Borealis also aims to integrate an ever larger share of recycled plastics in its products.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union and owned by its Member States. It provides long-term capital and advisory support for sound investments that contribute towards EU policy goals. The European Investment Bank Group is one of the largest public supporters of innovation in the European Union. Since 2000, the Group has invested over EUR 210 billion in innovation and skills in the European Union and beyond in order to advance innovation and address the social and economic challenges of today and tomorrow. To help tackle climate change, the EIB Group will also aim to support EUR 1 trillion of investments in climate action and environmental sustainability in the critical decade from 2021 to 2030. This also includes circular economy projects. Over the past five years (2015-2019), the EIB has provided around EUR 2.5 billion in loans to co-finance more than 100 circular projects, and stands ready to do more to help meet the lending needs of the circular economy transition.

Borealis Innovation Headquarters Atrium Showroom in Linz, Austria © 2020 Borealis

“We are exceedingly pleased to be able to boost our research and innovation activities in Europe thanks to the EIB,” says Alfred Stern, Borealis CEO. “It is good to have strong partners who share our belief in the importance of re-inventing for more sustainable living.”

“The promotion of circular solutions in the polyolefins industry is aligned with our goals to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, including for plastics, and to support cutting-edge innovation,” explains Ambroise Fayolle, EIB Vice-President.“We are happy to continue and intensify our collaboration with Borealis AG by signing our largest transaction together so far. As the EU’s climate bank, we are eager to support private sector partners that are committed to environmental sustainability.”

“Production is a product”

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“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

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“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

20 Start-Ups selected for CEMATEX Start-Up Grant at ITMA 2027

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Moving Advanced Recycling from Innovation to Implementation

The Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 explores technologies, markets, financing and scale-up of innovative recycling solutions for waste streams including mixed plastic waste, textiles and PVC. Europe’s chemical and materials sector faces growing pressure to close carbon loops, strengthen raw-material safety and resilience and meet increasingly ambitious EU recycling targets. Against this backdrop, the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) will bring together industry leaders, technology providers, researchers, innovators and policy-makers on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany.

KARL MAYER invites the Global Textile Industry to celebrate its 90th anniversary at its German Headquarters in 2027

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ITMF names three winners of the Sustainability & Innovation Award 2026

Three projects from the UK, Korea and China have been selected as winners of the ITMF Sustainability & Innovation Award 2026. The projects address textile-to-textile recycling, chemical recycling for automotive textiles and a regenerative approach combining silk production with ecological restoration.

Durak Maxibalance thread supports users’ movement and balance comfort

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Yarn Expo Autumn 2026 draws to a close, weaving sustainable innovation into global sourcing

Yarn Expo Autumn 2026 concluded with approximately 600 exhibitors from 14 countries and regions, connecting with nearly 22,000 visitors from 110 represented markets, bringing the textile industry’s evolving material agenda into sharper focus. Held alongside Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition, CHIC and PH Value, the fair connected upstream fibre and yarn innovation with fabric development, garment production and fashion-market demand.