Pooja Apte Badamikar is the Founder of BlinkGreen, an eco-friendly startup that upcycles tyre scrap to make fashion worthy footwear. Like many in India, Pooja completed her engineering and took up a job in the IT sector. She worked there for about four years while completing her post-graduation in renewable energy from The Energy and Research Institute (TERI).

“Environment and sustainability has always been my passion since school days. TERI is a well-known university for the related courses. I wanted to start my career in the environmental sector, which is why I opted for a PG in Renewable Energy subject,” Pooja says.

While hunting for a job in this very niche sector, she came across the field of upcycling waste material, specifically tyres. “Upcycling is the best way to reduce landfills. With very minimum investment we can start the business. The most important part here is that we can replace the virgin material normally used and hence reduce the use of natural resources like oils and water.”

With the drive to reduce landfills and waste in our country Pooja looked across the globe for ways to utilise scrap tyres for footwear. She says, “During my post-graduation I started reading about upcycling and recycling of different materials. Very few of us know that tyre waste is a very serious issue and a miniscule amount is recycled out of it. So, I started brainstorming on the topic and the idea that footwear can be made from scrap tyres worked. It also helps to reduce landfills. Then I started working on the idea and with the help of local cobblers, we were successful in making 2 prototypes of footwear where the soles were made of upcycled tyres. The first prototype was made up of airplane tyres and the second one was made of scrap truck tyres.”

Putting her ideas and education together, Pooja was able to develop two prototypes and was ready to show the country how we can help the environment and make it sustainable. “I enrolled myself in the startup India competition – ‘Start Up yatra.’ To my surprise, I won an award for ‘Upcoming Women Entrepreneur’ in Nov 2018. That’s when the journey started for me by turning the idea into business.”

So, how does she upcycle tyres?

“We have a few local sources in Pune who supply old tyres and we get them machine cut and use them to cover the bottom part with the footwear.” BlinkGreen also employs several women from self-help groups to work on stitching the fabric for the footwear. Put all this together and you get great footwear that reduces tyre waste and helps save the environment.

We asked Pooja how she was able to start a business like this, “I won Rs 50,000 in the ‘Upcoming Woman Entrepreneur’ category, organised by the Maharashtra State Innovation Society for ‘Start Up yatra’. In July 2019, I approached the Bank of India for a Mudra loan for small businesses and this is all the funding options that have helped me sustain my startup.”

Great start. But, can this work?

“Until now we have upcycled around 500 kgs of waste tyres. Which means we have 500 kg less tyre waste in our landfills until now. Conventionally footwear soles are made of plastic or virgin rubber. Which means we have helped to reduce the use of almost equal amounts of plastic by replacing it with the scrap tyre. So, we have helped to reduce the use of a large number of resources (like oils and water) which otherwise might have been consumed for manufacturing plastic.”

Can upcycling waste as a career or a business?

“The Circular Economy has great opportunities to start your business. It will definitely help society, business and environment. But the most important part in the upcycling business is, it should not jeopardize the quality of the final product.”

Nouryon, a leading supplier of organic peroxides and a developer of organic peroxide solutions, has formally announced the completion of capacity expansion of its organic peroxides manufacturing facility in Ningbo, China.

The company's production capacity for Perkadox 14 and Trigonox 101 organic peroxide products, which are crucial components for altering polymer characteristics and crosslinking rubbers and thermoplastics, has increased to 6,000 tonnes each as a result of this capacity expansion. Furthermore, by improving the qualities of recycled polypropylene (R-PP), these solutions can also allow consumers to employ recycled polymers in applications that were previously exclusive to virgin plastics.

Alain Rynwalt, Senior Vice President – Performance Materials, Nouryon, said, “Nouryon is a world leader in essential ingredients for the polymer industry and this expansion highlights our dedication to supporting our customers’ growth across the entire polymer cycle. Customer interest in improving the properties of recycled polypropylene continues to rise, in line with increased consumer awareness and more stringent regulations.”

Sobers Sethi, Senior Vice President – Emerging Markets and China, Nouryon, said, “Asia Pacific is a key region for Nouryon and our most recent expansion in China strengthens our supply position even more in this growing region. Our customers rely on our existing network of manufacturing facilities and innovative technologies, and we are pleased to build more capacity to meet growing customer demand around the world.”

Trinseo, a speciality materials solutions provider, has signed agreements to supply its polycarbonate technology license as well as all proprietary polycarbonate production equipment in Stade, Germany to Deepak Chem Tech Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Deepak Nitrite Limited, a diversified chemical intermediates company based in Vadodara, Gujarat, India.

The combined deals are worth USD 52.5 million. Subject to significant milestones, the business anticipates receiving around USD 9 million by the end of 2024 and an additional USD 21 million in the first part of 2025. The firm has made the decision to leave Stade, Germany, with this disposal of the production assets.

Frank Bozich, President and Chief Executive Officer, Trinseo, said, “While Trinseo recently announced its decision to exit virgin polycarbonate production, our polycarbonate technology is highly valued and the manufacturing equipment in Stade, Germany, can be utilised in India by Deepak. These are the initial steps of a strategic, collaborative partnership with Deepak, as we explore additional opportunities to leverage our technology portfolio and expand in higher-growth areas such as India.”

China's butadiene exports have experienced significant growth in recent years, particularly in 2021 and 2024. According to Sublime China Information (SCI), this surge is primarily driven by supply constraints in key regions, including the US and Southeast Asia.

Export Volume and Price Trends

In 2021, China's butadiene exports reached a historic high due to a supply gap in the US market. According to SCI, this trend continued in 2024 as reduced deep-sea cargo shipments and production challenges in Southeast Asia further tightened global supplies. From January to September 2024, China's total butadiene exports surged by 111 percent year-over-year to approximately 120.8 kilo tonnes.

The average export price of butadiene has fluctuated over the past five years. In 2023, weak demand in South Korea and competition from deep-sea cargoes led to a significant decline in export prices. However, in 2024, supply shortages from key regions drove prices to a five-year high. As of September 2024, the average export price reached USD 1,391 per metric ton, a 35 percent month-over-month increase, added SCI.

Export Destinations and Regional Dynamics

The majority of China's butadiene exports are directed to South Korea and Taiwan. In 2024, South Korea accounted for 74 percent of total exports, a significant increase from the previous year. This surge was driven by factors such as limited domestic supply and increased demand for spot butadiene.

While China's butadiene exports have been strong, the long-term potential for significant growth in deep-sea exports remains limited due to established supply chains and regional demand dynamics. Most of China's exports are currently concentrated in Northeast Asia, with limited opportunities for expansion into other regions.

Future Outlook

SCI added that 2025 China's butadiene supply is expected to be relatively sufficient, and export volumes may increase further. However, the sustained growth of exports will depend on various factors, including downstream demand in key markets, the availability of deep-sea cargoes, and the development of new production capacities in other regions.

Despite these uncertainties, China's butadiene industry is well-positioned to capitalize on global supply-demand imbalances and continue to play a significant role in the global market.

Cabot Corporation, a global speciality chemicals and performance materials company, has announced through an official statement that it will raise prices globally for carbon black products sold by its speciality carbons business. The price rise will be global and will come into effect for all shipments on or after 1 December 2024, or as contracts allow.

The company claims that the price rise is necessary owing to the impact of inflation on labour, maintenance and other production activities, as well as supply chain-related expenditures. The price increase will vary depending on the product and region.

The statement further elaborates that these price adjustments will help the company remain a dependable, long-term provider of high-quality products and services to its consumers. Cabot also underlined its commitment to guaranteeing supply security and the best service standards for its clients, as well as providing technological and process improvements and moving forward with its environmental goals.