Keter Expands Use of Sustainable UBQ Material Across Product Lines to Reduce Emissions

Keter, the world’s largest producer of resin-based consumer goods, is expanding its partnership with climate tech startup UBQ Materials by incorporating UBQ’s innovative bio-based thermoplastic into additional product lines. This move aligns with Keter’s sustainability strategy to reduce Scope 3 emissions and builds on the 55 percent recycled content already used in their products. Specifically, Keter intends to use a 5-10 percent load of UBQ’s sustainable material, branded “Made with UBQ,” to manufacture a new eco-focused line that exemplifies the companies’ shared commitment to transforming their industry through material innovation.

The collaboration, highlighted by leaders from both companies at a COP28 panel, has been ongoing for several years. By leveraging UBQ’s technology alongside its global scale, Keter seeks to deliver tangible climate impact and measurable environmental benefits to consumers. Localizing production and the circular economy model enabled by UBQ’s new Netherlands plant, opening later this year, will also allow Keter to accelerate UBQ integration at their European facilities.

With 80,000 tons of annual UBQ production capacity coming online, the companies emphasize this partnership demonstrates real-world advancement of carbon reduction goals within the plastics space. Specifically, Albert Douer, UBQ Co-CEO, noted they are setting a new benchmark for removing and avoiding emissions that Keter will help spread industry-wide as pioneers combining virgin and recycled materials.

The expanded UBQ usage builds on the apparent progress in climate and material environmental impact already quantified within Keter’s latest 2022 Sustainability Report. Through increasing UBQ loads across product lines, Keter states they will continue surpassing yearly sustainability targets focused on emission reductions.

Further emphasizing their collaborative approach to climate solutions, leaders from Keter and UBQ presented together during a COP28 panel session focused on successful corporate startup partnerships for achieving net zero. Aligning with the conference’s central theme of “Energy, Industry, and Just Transition,” they discussed Keter’s sustainability journey and the critical role of UBQ integration in enabling their ambitious environmental goals moving forward.

In summarizing Keter’s sustainability strategy and partnership rationale, their chief sustainability officer, Iftach Sachar, emphasized that their commitment goes beyond recycled content quotas to transform the industry. By combining strengths in scale and material innovation, both companies now deliver a measurable sustainability proposition to the market and act unitedly to address urgent climate priorities.

Having proven adequate progress through initial product testing over several years, the newly announced expansion of UBQ adoption represents the next chapter in that journey – where Keter aims to solidify itself as a leader that moves its industry towards a more sustainable future.