Australia’s Viva Energy has produced its maiden International Sustainability and Carbon Certification+-certified mass-balanced biobased polymer at its refinery in Geelong with used cooking oil (UCO), which was sourced by Cleanaway.

The UCO, sourced from Intersnack ANZ in New South Wales, was used in producing snack brands such as Kettle Chips, CC’s, and Cheezels.

This move represents the first time that the used cooking oil has been processed at the Geelong refinery's catalytic cracker and polypropylene plant to produce a mass-balanced biobased polymer, a recycled food-grade plastic.

Viva Energy chief strategy officer Lachlan Pfeiffer said “Over time, the plan is to expand the scale of the processing, create new roles for the refinery and transform the site into a broader energy hub.

“There is growing interest in plastic with recycled content and in a more sustainable solution to Australia’s plastic waste challenges, particularly from food manufacturers like Intersnack ANZ.

“We believe there will be a strong market for food-grade packaging made from recycled materials, but we recognise there is a need for regulatory support for this to be a success.”

Viva Energy is also said to have upgraded its infrastructure to support the use of alternative feedstocks.

Additionally, Intersnack ANZ plans to use recycled material for plastic packaging later this year.

Intersnack ANZ CEO Kurt Preshaw said: “We are excited about this important first step for Intersnack ANZ and its potential to address the broader industry challenge of plastic waste.

“Our customers and consumers expect us to reduce our reliance on virgin plastic, and this initiative is a critical first step toward that goal.”