Avantium N.V. has entered a joint development agreement with Amcor Rigid Packaging USA LLC to explore the use of Releaf, Avantium's plant-based polyethylene furanoate (PEF) polymer, in rigid containers for food, beverages, and other products.

Releaf is a 100 percent plant-based, high-performance polymer that can be recycled in existing PET recycling streams. It is included in the Critical Guidance Protocol from the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), one of the most universally accepted measures for assessing recyclability in plastic packaging design. Releaf boasts superior barrier properties that extend the shelf life of food and beverages, higher mechanical strength that reduces material usage, and low processing temperature that cuts energy consumption compared to traditional fossil-based plastics. Additionally, with its low carbon footprint, Releaf will support Amcor’s net-zero ambitions for 2050.

Moreover, Amcor has committed to a multi-year capacity reservation for PEF from a future industrial-scale facility, based on a technology license from Avantium. The agreement guarantees Amcor preferred access to PEF volumes produced by Avantium's future licensee network.

Avantium has developed a proprietary process technology to produce FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid), the key building block for PEF, and is currently in the process of starting up the world’s first commercial FDCA plant in Delfzijl, the Netherlands. The FDCA flagship plant will be pivotal for Avantium's licensing strategy, allowing the company to sell FDCA and PEF directly to customers while also offering technology licenses to industrial partners.