Octal acknowledged by the sustainability consortium for environmental excellence

The renowned Sustainability Consortium at the University of Arkansas, USA, has praised OCTAL Petrochemical's environmental stewardship in the manufacturing of the first and only direct-to-sheet polyester sheet in the world, DPET, used for packaging yoghurt, meat, cheese, baked goods and produce along with household consumer goods. 

The Sustainability Consortium is an independent organization of diverse global participants contributing to a more sustainable world through better products and consumption. OCTAL is an active member of the consortium’s packaging group whose participants include international heavy-weight conglomerates like Walmart, P&G and Unilever to name a few. The group aims to develop tools for measuring carbon impact in packaging of food and other consumer products. 

Mike Faupel, Operations Director at The Sustainability Consortium said that the company has set an important benchmark and is playing a crucial pioneering role in the packaging industry. "OCTAL has stepped out into completely uncharted territory showing tremendous leadership in sustainability measurements using rigorous scientific foundations and great transparency," he said. 

Deploying ground-breaking production methods that are unique worldwide, OCTAL has successfully eliminated five energy intensive stages of the conventional sheet production process. The result is a high-performance product with increased cost savings by as much as 24% and improved optical and mechanical properties that boast the lowest carbon footprint in the world, 25% lower than conventional APET as confirmed by independent experts at Renewable Choice Energy and Intertek Expert Services.  

"We have invested heavily in developing this direct-to-sheet process and are now reaping the rewards with a superior and revolutionary raw material that offers global markets green rigid packaging solutions," said Nicholas Barakat, Managing Director of OCTAL. "No comparable material  even approaches the low carbon footprint DPET achieves where the reduction per ton is equivalent to driving 4,135km in an average passenger vehicle." 

An unprecedented 67% of energy consumption is reduced during the manufacturing process compared to conventional APET and the entire energy requirements are derived from clean combustion natural gas. The specially adapted burner at the company's site in the Salalah Free Zone also consumes up to 20% less gas than conventional PET production facilities and 100% of the water used is derived from urban waste water of which 80% is then recovered and recycled. 

"Progressive natural source management is at the core of our company's DNA. This means not only uncompromised attentiveness to the benefits of conservation today, but also a dedication to future success based on unwavering, fundamental conviction that only through environmental sustainability can a company expect to prosper in tomorrow's world," expressed Mohammed Razeem, OCTAL’s Project Engineer for Sustainability.  

OCTAL currently exports its patented DPET™ sheet to over 60 countries worldwide across Europe, America and Africa.