Borealis AG will invest €49 million (about $53 million) to expand production of advanced polypropylene grades at its manufacturing site in Burghausen, Germany, as demand grows for higher‑performance and more recyclable plastic materials.

The investment will increase commercial output of the company’s Borstar Nextension line, a next‑generation single‑site polypropylene designed to offer higher purity, improved processability and enhanced performance compared with conventional grades. Borealis said the additional capacity is intended to support customers in packaging, healthcare, mobility and fiber applications, sectors that are facing tighter regulatory requirements and increasing sustainability targets.

At the core of the expansion is a shift toward so‑called monomaterial polypropylene solutions. Borstar Nextension technology allows multiple performance characteristics—such as strength, clarity and sealing behavior—to be combined within a single material, reducing the need for complex multilayer structures that are difficult to recycle. Chemical producers and packaging manufacturers have increasingly focused on such designs as regulators and brand owners push to simplify materials and improve recyclability.

Borealis said the technology could enable substitution of multilayer packaging with lighter, single‑polymer alternatives, potentially reducing material use while maintaining performance. Industry analysts note that single‑polyolefin structures are gaining traction as companies seek to balance cost, performance and end‑of‑life considerations.

The company pointed to packaging as a key application area, citing the European Union’s forthcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, which includes a target for all packaging on the EU market to be recyclable by 2030. According to Borealis, its Borstar Nextension polypropylene grades are already being adopted in flexible packaging applications, where manufacturers are seeking to meet recyclability requirements without sacrificing processing efficiency or product quality.

“By scaling up Borstar Nextension PP production, we empower our customers to stay ahead in a rapidly changing regulatory and market landscape. It’s another example of our commitment to increase the availability of innovative, recyclable polymer materials suitable for a wide range of applications across multiple industries,” says Craig Arnold, Borealis EVP Polyolefins, Circular Economy Solutions and Base Chemicals. 

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