Renol® - A Revolutionary Bio-based Plastic, Unlocking the Power of Forest Residues
Sustainable innovation meets performance. Harness the renewable strength of lignin for sustainable solutions without compromising quality.
Sustainable alternative to fossil plastics
At Lignin Industries, we see nature as the foundation for a sustainable future.
Our bio-based plastic, Renol®, is developed from lignin—a natural polymer found in all plants and a byproduct of the forestry and agricultural sectors. While lignin holds great potential, it presents challenges for the plastics industry due to its hygroscopic and low-density powder form, which isn't compatible with the standard granules manufacturers are accustomed to.
We’ve addressed this by combining lignin with a bio-based oil to produce Renol®—a thermoplastic in granule form with high compatibility, making it practical and efficient for industrial use.
A Renewable Source
Our innovation starts with lignin. Lignin is a natural polymer found in the cell walls of all plants. In trees, lignin constitutes about 20-30% of their structure, serving as a natural and robust binder. It connects cellulose and hemicellulose, contributing to the wood's stiffness and resistance to decay. Following cellulose, lignin is the second-largest renewable source of carbon available.
As a non-toxic & renewable material, lignin presents a valuable opportunity to reduce our reliance on fossil-based resources. Its naturally occurring strength properties enable the development of high-performance, sustainable materials with significantly reduced carbon footprint.
Lignin has the potential to become a much more valuable raw material than being burnt for its energy value. By harnessing this untapped resource, our innovation plays a key role in the circular economy—transforming waste into a renewable solution.
Abundant and Scalable:
A True Bio-Based Solution.
With over 700 million tons of lignin globally each year from both forest and agricultural sources, our innovation is not just sustainable but scalable. This abundant supply ensures the potential for widespread industrial application, making Renol® one of the few truly scalable bio-based materials on the market.
From Nature to Performance:
Introducing Renol®
We convert lignin by combining it with a bio-based oil, producing thermoplastic granules called Renol®. These granules are highly compatible and can be used as a drop-in masterbatch, easily mixed up to 40% with various fossil-based or recycled polymers.
Designed for performance, Renol® helps manufacturers meet sustainability goals without compromising on material strength or quality.
Unlocking Possibilities:
Enabling a Low-Carbon Future.
Our customers, whether they are compounders or converters, use Renol® to create final products or compounds with up to 100% CO2 reduction potential. With Renol®, they can reduce their reliance on fossil-based plastics while delivering products with outstanding performance—driving the shift towards a more sustainable, low-carbon future.
Renol®: Proven Recyclability for a Circular Future
Renol®, our bio-based thermoplastics composed of lignin and bio-oil, is designed to reduce CO2 emissions in the plastics industry. Renol® is a biobased antioxidant, bringing improved polymer stability in re-processing, making it a natural enabler of the circular economy. Recent testing confirms that Renol® blends with plastics such as ABS, PE and PP are fully recyclable in both open- and closed-loop recycling systems.
In our Renol® Recyclability Report we have gathered facts about how Renol® functions in the different stages of the recycling process when used in ABS, PE and PP applications. The report includes analysis of Renol’s sortability, its re-processing and its mechanical properties preservation after being recycled.
Key Highlights:
- Certified Recyclable: Renol®-based PE and PP-packaging scored 19/20 points in Interzero’s “Made for Recycling” certification, corresponding to the classification “very good” recyclability.
- High Sortability: Near-infrared (NIR) sorting shows 82-100 % accuracy for LDPE films and 94-100% for PP parts.
- Thermal Stability: Renol® masterbatches are processable at standard temperatures for recycling PE, PP, and ABS.
- Antioxidant Benefits: Lignin’s natural antioxidant properties reduce the need for synthetic stabilizers, preserving polymer chain length and mechanical strength. For example, Renol®-PE films withstand 12 reprocessing cycles without degradation, while un-stabilised LDPE loses up to 40% of its properties after just four.
- Minimal Impact on Recycling Streams: Even with a 20× production increase, Renol® would represent only 0.06% of Sweden’s plastic recycling capacity.
Read and download the Renol Recyclability Report
Read about the Interzero certifications
The Ideal Blend: Where Sustainability Meets Performance
Sustainability
Superior Resource
Efficiency
The production of Renol® is a model of resource efficiency.
For every ton of Renol produced, we utilize 0.9 tons of lignin and 0.1 tons of bio-oil—resulting in zero waste.
Secondary
Material
Unlike many bioplastics, Renol® is derived from forest residues—not food-based crops like sugarcane or corn.
This means we aren’t using valuable agricultural land or competing with the global food supply.
CO2
Reduction
Renol® is based on forest residues. Growing trees act as a carbon sink, absorbing more CO2 than they release, which enables significant CO2 reduction.
Biobased
Material
Renol® is 100% biobased.
Lignin from the forest or agricultural industries, mixed with a biobased oil.
Recyclable
by Design
Renol® does not hinder recycling of end applications
Renol® is recyclable both in standard open- and closed-loop recycling streams
Performance
High
Versatility
Renol® is highly versatile and can be mixed into multiple different plastic applications.
Drop-in
Solution
Renol® masterbatches can normally be blended directly with existing polymers without compounding.
The use of Renol® masterbatches doesn't normally require any investments from converters and compounders.
Temperature
Resistant
Renol® has a unique property regarding temperature resistance being able to be processed up to at least 230 degrees without being burnt.
Antioxidant
Features
Renol® prevents oxidation/degradation which improves recyclability.
Low Density
Material
Renol® enables lightweight material since the density of Renol is close to 1 kg/dm3.
The low density significantly reduces weight compared to fillers or other biobased materials.
Reduce your carbon footprint with Renol®
Growing trees act as a carbon sink, absorbing more CO2 than they release, which makes Renol® a carbon-negative material.
Calculated by SWECO, 2024.
According to ISO 14040, ISO 14044 and ISO 14067 and comprimises cradle-to-gate data.
Sustainable materials for various applications
Explore our materials for a specific manufacturing technology or have a look at our industry specific solutions
LDPE Films
Innovative e-commerce bags based on recycled plastics and lignin, for reducing fossil use and lowering CO2 emissions. Produced in close collaboration with our film partners in Europe.
Polypropylene Applications
Through customers we are currently developing applications within electronics, construction, home appliances and automotive for reducing the fossil use of polypropylene and lowering CO2 emissions.
ABS Applications
Through customers we are currently developing applications within electronics, construction, home appliances and automotive for reducing the fossil use of ABS and lowering CO2 emissions.