Speciality Chemicals Magazine MAR / APR 2025 | Page 55

Sustainable MPG : A world of potential

Richard Ward , managing director of Airedale Group , explores the emergence of a more sustainable alternative to traditional monopropylene glycol

MPG has numerous end-use applications

As a manufacturer and distributor , it is essential to stay one step ahead of market conditions and demands in the chemical industry , ensuring your portfolio of products remains relevant and in line with customer needs . For Airedale Group , that includes responding to the ever-increasing calls for more sustainable materials that remain flexible enough to serve customers in all industries , while still providing optimum performance .

Biobased monopropylene glycol ( MPG ), for example , has emerged as one of a generation of re- imagined products that offer the same efficacy as traditional MPG but with much greener credentials . This satisfies a demand from our customers and their end-users who are prepared to pay a premium for more sustainable , high-value goods , which we believe will only continue to grow .

By providing more environmentally elegant products like biobased MPG we are not only satisfying a customer need , but also supporting a greater move towards renewables , with a natural product that gives suppliers the chance to provide more sustainable products .

Reflecting this shift , our partner Orlen has invested heavily in the first green propylene glycol production facility in its home country of Poland , which is also the biggest in Europe . It has the capacity to produce 30,000 tonnes / year , enough to fulfil a large proportion of the demand in Poland and across the rest of Europe .

Circular processes

The manufacture of biobased MPG is a perfect example of circularity where a by-product from one process is being used as a raw material to manufacture another product . In my opinion , this is something the

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