Avient Supports Hager Group to Incorporate Recycled Ocean-Bound Plastic in New Waterproof Outdoor Socket and Switch

March 28, 2024

Avient formulates Social Plastic® from Plastic Bank into custom Maxxam™ REC recycled polyolefins, used to make Hager’s new cubyko leaf outdoor socket and switch.

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POMMERLOCH, Luxembourg – March 28, 2024 – Avient Corporation, a premier provider of specialized and sustainable materials solutions and services, is pleased to announce a successful collaboration with its long-standing and valued customer, Hager Group. Avient supported Hager to incorporate 27% recycled ocean-bound plastic in its new cubyko leaf waterproof outdoor sockets and switches, providing its customers with a more eco-conscious option. This success was achieved in further collaboration with Plastic Bank, which provides the recycled ocean-bound plastic waste that Avient formulates into high-performing polyolefin materials.  

Avient helped achieve this success by developing customized versions of its Maxxam™ REC Recycled Polyolefin Formulations, which contain 50% recycled ocean-bound plastic content, using Social Plastic® feedstock from Plastic Bank. As a result, the final assembly of the Hager cubyko leaf includes 27% ocean-bound plastic content. These formulations effectively replace the previous prime materials used by Hager, meeting the required technical specifications, including coloration to specific RAL colors, while also providing good resistance to ultraviolet (UV) light, scratches, and impacts.  

"We are proud to have been part of the collaboration with Plastic Bank and Hager and have the opportunity to transform discarded ocean-bound plastic into high-performing polymers," said Matt Mitchell, Director of Global Marketing, Specialty Engineered Materials at Avient. "This project demonstrates our commitment to innovation and sustainability, and we are pleased to help Hager meet its sustainability goals."  

"This collaboration is a great example of how businesses can work together to create a regenerative future and reduce plastic waste in our environment," said David Katz, Plastic Bank's Founder and CEO. "Every product made with Social Plastic® feedstock gives consumers a chance to support a circular economy, and this is no exception. We look forward to working with Avient and Hager to empower more retailers and customers to take action for a better world."  

The polyolefin formulations containing ocean-bound content fall under Avient’s Maxxam REC Recycled Polyolefin Formulations portfolio. Learn more about these grades or contact us to discuss customizations at Avient.com.  

About Avient  

Avient Corporation provides specialized and sustainable materials solutions that transform customer challenges into opportunities, bringing new products to life for a better world. Examples include:  

• Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber™, enables unmatched levels of performance and protection for end-use applications, including ballistic personal protection, marine and sustainable infrastructure and outdoor sports    
• Unique technologies that improve the recyclability of products and enable recycled content to be incorporated, thus advancing a more circular economy    
• Light-weighting solutions that replace heavier traditional materials like metal, glass and wood, which can improve fuel efficiency in all modes of transportation and reduce carbon footprint  
• Sustainable infrastructure solutions that increase energy efficiency, renewable energy, natural resource conservation and fiber optic / 5G network accessibility      

Avient is certified ACC Responsible Care®, a founding member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste and certified Great Place to Work®. For more information, visit www.avient.com.      

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About Hager Group  

Hager Group is a leading provider of solutions and services for electrical installations in residential, commercial and industrial buildings with 13,000 employees generating 3.1 billion Euros in sales.  

Components and solutions are produced at 22 locations around the globe and are distributed to customers in more than 100 countries. Hager Group is an international independent family-owned and run company headquartered in Germany.  

One of the industry’s innovation leaders, Hager Group aims at sustainably shaping the electrical world of tomorrow and play a leading role in the field of energy management and distribution. Customers rely on the group’s safe and simple products and solutions which range from energy distribution, cable management and wiring accessories to building automation, security systems and energy management under the brands Hager, Berker, Bocchiotti / Iboco, Elcom and E3/DC. 

About Plastic Bank    

Plastic Bank is revealing value in plastic waste to help end poverty. They are a social enterprise based in Vancouver, Canada, empowering a Social Recycling movement. Their  collection communities collect and exchange ocean-bound plastic waste as currency for income and life-improving benefits, including health, work and life insurance, digital connectivity, grocery vouchers, school supplies, fintech services, and more. Exchanges are recorded through the Plastic Bank app, backed by their proprietary blockchain-secured platform that enables traceable collection, secures income and verifies reporting. The collected material is processed into Social Plastic feedstock for reuse in products and packaging by some of the world's most progressive companies. Plastic Bank currently stops ocean-bound plastic in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Brazil, Egypt, and Cameroon.    

PlasticBank® and Social Plastic® are registered trademarks of The Plastic Bank Recycling Corporation. 

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Media Contact
Nicole DeChant
Avient Corporation
nicole.dechant@avient.com