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Alberta

Nova Chemicals releases “Syndigo” line of lower-emission, recycled products

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Flexible packaging, heavy duty sacks (salt, mulch bags) and blow molded bottles for home and personal care

News release from  NOVA Chemicals

NOVA Chemicals Launches New Circular Solutions Business to Meet Growing Demand for Recycled Plastics

CALGARY — NOVA Chemicals Corporation (“NOVA Chemicals”) today announced the establishment of NOVA Circular Solutions, a new line of business focusing on lower-emission, recycled solutions that will help reshape a better, more sustainable world. NOVA Circular Solutions will be home to the SYNDIGOTM brand, the company’s newest portfolio of recycled polyethylene (rPE).

NOVA Circular Solutions is led by a team of experts in plastics development, recycling technology, additive science, packaging design, and regulatory compliance. It is headed by Alan Schrob, recycling director, who has nearly 30 years of experience in plastics, manufacturing, health, safety, and the environment.

“Plastic products play a critical role in our daily lives, and industry and consumers are placing higher value on products that contribute to the circular economy. They want products that can be recycled, reused, and reimagined,” said John Thayer, NOVA Chemicals senior vice president of sales and marketing. “Today’s announcement underscores NOVA’s commitment to be a leader in sustainable polyethylene production. We are investing time, resources, and world-class technical knowledge into this new line of business and the SYNDIGO brand.”

SYNDIGO rPE is designed to support recycled content and decarbonization goals of converters and brands while setting new industry standards for driving the transition towards a circular economy for plastics. There is a growing demand for recycled products and the SYNDIGO resins are poised to meet those needs in North America.

Commercially available products under the SYNDIGO brand include:

  • EX-PCR-WR3 resin, mechanically recycled, sourced from polyethylene (PE) agricultural film, and ideal for e-commerce mailers, can liners, carry-out bags, protective packaging, and shrink.
  • EX-PCR-NC4 resin, mechanically recycled, sourced from back-of-store distribution center PE stretch film and front-of-store consumer drop off, and ideal for heavy-duty sacks, e-commerce mailers, stretch wrap, collation shrink, protective packaging, and industrial films.
  • EX-PCR-HD5 resin, mechanically recycled, sourced from HDPE milk jugs, and ideal for flexible packaging, heavy-duty sacks and small-part blow molding.

“Converters and brand owners are incorporating more recycled materials into their packaging and products to meet their sustainability goals and the demands of consumers. These important steps support our customers and drive towards a plastic circular economy, helping to protect the planet for future generations,” said Greg DeKunder, NOVA Chemicals vice president of polyethylene marketing & circular polymers. “At NOVA Chemicals, we are excited to leverage our technical knowledge, unmatched customer experience, and relationships throughout the value chain to drive recycled content adoption and demonstrate that plastics circularity is truly achievable.”

For more information on SYNDIGO, click here.

About NOVA Chemicals Corporation
NOVA Chemicals aspires to be the leading sustainable polyethylene producer in North America. Our driving purpose is to reshape plastics for a better, more sustainable world by delivering innovative solutions that advance a circular economy. Through these efforts, we strive to make everyday life healthier and safer while acting as a catalyst for a low-carbon, zero-plastic-waste future. NOVA Chemicals sets itself apart by offering superior product quality, proprietary high-performance resins, recycled and recyclable polyethylene, value chain collaboration, and exceptional customer experience. These benefits enable customers to use our resins to create flexible and rigid products that serve a variety of end-use applications. Our employees work to ensure health, safety, security, and environmental stewardship through our commitment to Sustainability and Responsible Care®.

NOVA Chemicals, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, has nearly 2,500 employees worldwide and is wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Learn more at www.novachem.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

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Alberta

Big win for Alberta and Canada: Statement from Premier Smith

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Premier Danielle Smith issued the following statement on the April 2, 2025 U.S. tariff announcement:

“Today was an important win for Canada and Alberta, as it appears the United States has decided to uphold the majority of the free trade agreement (CUSMA) between our two nations. It also appears this will continue to be the case until after the Canadian federal election has concluded and the newly elected Canadian government is able to renegotiate CUSMA with the U.S. administration.

“This is precisely what I have been advocating for from the U.S. administration for months.

“It means that the majority of goods sold into the United States from Canada will have no tariffs applied to them, including zero per cent tariffs on energy, minerals, agricultural products, uranium, seafood, potash and host of other Canadian goods.

“There is still work to be done, of course. Unfortunately, tariffs previously announced by the United States on Canadian automobiles, steel and aluminum have not been removed. The efforts of premiers and the federal government should therefore shift towards removing or significantly reducing these remaining tariffs as we go forward and ensuring affected workers across Canada are generously supported until the situation is resolved.

“I again call on all involved in our national advocacy efforts to focus on diplomacy and persuasion while avoiding unnecessary escalation. Clearly, this strategy has been the most effective to this point.

“As it appears the worst of this tariff dispute is behind us (though there is still work to be done), it is my sincere hope that we, as Canadians, can abandon the disastrous policies that have made Canada vulnerable to and overly dependent on the United States, fast-track national resource corridors, get out of the way of provincial resource development and turn our country into an independent economic juggernaut and energy superpower.”

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Alberta

Energy sector will fuel Alberta economy and Canada’s exports for many years to come

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From the Fraser Institute

By Jock Finlayson

By any measure, Alberta is an energy powerhouse—within Canada, but also on a global scale. In 2023, it produced 85 per cent of Canada’s oil and three-fifths of the country’s natural gas. Most of Canada’s oil reserves are in Alberta, along with a majority of natural gas reserves. Alberta is the beating heart of the Canadian energy economy. And energy, in turn, accounts for one-quarter of Canada’s international exports.

Consider some key facts about the province’s energy landscape, as noted in the Alberta Energy Regulator’s (AER) 2023 annual report. Oil and natural gas production continued to rise (on a volume basis) in 2023, on the heels of steady increases over the preceding half decade. However, the dollar value of Alberta’s oil and gas production fell in 2023, as the surging prices recorded in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine retreated. Capital spending in the province’s energy sector reached $30 billion in 2023, making it the leading driver of private-sector investment. And completion of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project has opened new offshore export avenues for Canada’s oil industry and should boost Alberta’s energy production and exports going forward.

In a world striving to address climate change, Alberta’s hydrocarbon-heavy energy sector faces challenges. At some point, the world may start to consume less oil and, later, less natural gas (in absolute terms). But such “peak” consumption hasn’t arrived yet, nor does it appear imminent. While the demand for certain refined petroleum products is trending down in some advanced economies, particularly in Europe, we should take a broader global perspective when assessing energy demand and supply trends.

Looking at the worldwide picture, Goldman Sachs’ 2024 global energy forecast predicts that “oil usage will increase through 2034” thanks to strong demand in emerging markets and growing production of petrochemicals that depend on oil as the principal feedstock. Global demand for natural gas (including LNG) will also continue to increase, particularly since natural gas is the least carbon-intensive fossil fuel and more of it is being traded in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Against this backdrop, there are reasons to be optimistic about the prospects for Alberta’s energy sector, particularly if the federal government dials back some of the economically destructive energy and climate policies adopted by the last government. According to the AER’s “base case” forecast, overall energy output will expand over the next 10 years. Oilsands output is projected to grow modestly; natural gas production will also rise, in part due to greater demand for Alberta’s upstream gas from LNG operators in British Columbia.

The AER’s forecast also points to a positive trajectory for capital spending across the province’s energy sector. The agency sees annual investment rising from almost $30 billion to $40 billion by 2033. Most of this takes place in the oil and gas industry, but “emerging” energy resources and projects aimed at climate mitigation are expected to represent a bigger slice of energy-related capital spending going forward.

Like many other oil and gas producing jurisdictions, Alberta must navigate the bumpy journey to a lower-carbon future. But the world is set to remain dependent on fossil fuels for decades to come. This suggests the energy sector will continue to underpin not only the Alberta economy but also Canada’s export portfolio for the foreseeable future.

Jock Finlayson

Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute
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