SIBUR becomes first company in Russia to certify polymer production using recycled feedstock

9 June 2026. SIBUR has successfully completed Russia’s first certification audit of a sustainable development management system for compliance with the requirements of the national standard under the new Voluntary Sustainable Development and Carbon Neutrality Certification System (SURIUN). The audit did not identify any non-conformities, confirming that the company’s recycling and sustainable feedstock management processes have reached a high level of maturity.

Polief became the first SIBUR facility to receive SURIUN certification, which covers the production line for Vivilen rPET pellets manufactured with recycled feedstock.

The SURIUN system is the Russian counterpart of the international ISCC PLUS system. The standard establishes strict requirements for verifying the sustainable share of recycled or renewable feedstock in finished products. For the plastics recycling industry, it is a critically important tool that enables end-to-end traceability of feedstock, from waste collection to the final product.

Certification of Vivilen products is based on the globally recognized mass balance model, which enables the incorporation of recycled feedstock into existing production processes.

Some of the features of this model include the following:

∙ Single stream. Virgin and recycled feedstock are processed on the same production line, which ensures stable physical and mechanical properties while incorporating recycled materials.

∙ Mathematical accounting. The SURIUN system tracks the movement of every tonne of material. The volume of sustainable PET produced strictly corresponds to the volume of recycled plastic actually received at the plant.

∙ Elimination of double counting. The facility has implemented stringent controls over suppliers’ flake documentation, end-to-end tracking of material flows throughout the entire production process, and regular reconciliations. These measures ensure that the same batch of recycled feedstock cannot be counted twice.

∙ Verification of all process stages. Every processing stage is assessed, and process losses associated with the production of sustainable products are taken into account, which ensures the accurate calculation of the sustainable share in the final products.

SIBUR views certification of Vivilen rPET pellets as a practical mechanism for demonstrating to customers that products genuinely contain recycled feedstock. As the Russian counterpart of ISCC PLUS, the SURIUN certification system addresses this challenge through rigorous mathematical and documentary accounting based on a mass balance model applicable to both mechanical and chemical recycling.

The company started with certification of mechanical recycling and the Vivilen brand to fine-tune its business and production processes. However, SIBUR expects the true potential of SURIUN to be unlocked in through its innovative waste chemical recycling projects.

The company is considering the implementation of a pilot pyrolysis unit at its Nizhnekamskneftekhim site. This technology would enable the use of complex, contaminated waste streams – multilayer films, flow packs, and other materials – as feedstock, converting them into naphtha through thermal decomposition. This basic hydrocarbon feedstock could then be used to synthesize polymers approved for medical and food-contact applications.

Certification based on the mass balance model would provide a reliable mechanism for accounting for recycled feedstock within large-scale production cycles. It would also enable the company to attribute the sustainable share of feedstock to final products in a transparent manner.

The certification obtained by SIBUR enables the company to guarantee not only consistently high levels of physical and mechanical performance in its pellets but also a verified sustainability profile, creating a strong foundation of trust among recyclers, consumers of polymer solutions and public authorities.