With dedication to research, investment in technology and partnerships, Braskem has been transforming the plastics value chain.
A circular economy — which proposes a productive process that encompasses
reducing, reusing and recycling materials and energy — is a concept that has
guided industries around the world in preparing projects that foster a
sustainable cycle from production to disposal of materials. Although for more
than 10 years this conscious consumption model has been part of our business
model at Brazilian chemical and petrochemical company
Braskem, in November 2018 we
publicly expressed our
position
in favor of a circular economy — seeking to engage clients, value chain partners
and society in general in the search for innovative and sustainable alternatives
to plastic.
The joint effort proposed by Braskem defines initiatives for developing
partnerships with customers in designing products that can expand and facilitate
the recycling and reuse of plastic packaging, especially single-use materials.
One of the main results of this commitment, which has even enabled the company
to contribute to important and necessary changes in the industrial sector, was
the expansion of the use of renewable-origin resins such as Green Plastic, which
is made from sugarcane.
As a result of years of dedication to research and development, Braskem launched
I’m green™ Green
Plastic
in 2010. The resin’s main differential is its contribution to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, since green polyethylene captures
3.09 metric tons of carbon dioxide during its production process (from cradle to
the Braskem gate). The CO2 captured during production remains fixed throughout
the final product’s life cycle. In addition, the material has the same technical
properties, performance and application versatility as conventional
polyethylene; and can be recycled under the same conditions, as well.
Obtaining the raw material for producing Green Plastic is based on Braskem’s
responsible ethanol purchase
program
— which covers aspects such as respect for
biodiversity,
community and good environmental practices, all the way from sugarcane
plantation to ethanol production. Green Plastic is produced in Brazil, and
is used in products and packaging from different industries and by more than 150
brands distributed worldwide. One example is the sustainable and reusable water
bottles distributed by the Dutch company Join the
Pipe in Europe, since March this year; and
Earth Animal — a veterinary product manufacturer — also started using Green
Plastic for packaging its new dog food line, Dr. Bob Goldstein's
Wisdom™, in the
US.
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Partnerships based on Braskem's initiatives in favor of a circular economy have
enabled us company to further expand our I'm green™ portfolio. Studies for
utilizing renewable plastic have prompted the development of Green
EVA,
an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer — a type of renewable resin with
characteristics that provide more flexibility, lightness and resistance to the
product; and can be applied in footwear, automotive, transportation, sporting
goods, wires and cables, and more. US footwear brand
Allbirds
was the first brand to use this solution in their products.
Recently, Braskem also announced that by 2023 we would begin a large-scale
distribution of a sugar-based MEG — the raw material for PET. The Green
MEG
will be produced with the support of Haldor Topsoe, the world leader in
catalysts and technology for the chemical and refining industries. The
demonstration plant, which will validate the technical and economic feasibility
of the developed technology, initiated production earlier this year in Lyngby,
Denmark.
But Braskem understands that consumer engagement is a fundamental part of the
sustainability journey. Therefore, in addition to partnerships for designing
sustainable products, our commitment to a circular economy also includes
investing in actions that disseminate information about recycling in society,
and spread the importance of conscious consumption and correct waste disposal.
Braskem has joined Grupo GPA, Brazil’s largest retailer, to produce new
packaging for its Qualitá brand stain remover from the waste plastic
discarded in the collection stations at GPA’s Extra and Pão de Açúcar
supermarkets across the country. After sorting, the waste is sent to a recycler
that produces the new resin that will be passed on to the plastic transformer,
which in turn will produce the packaging of the “Tira-Manchas” stain remover,
closing the production cycle.
In the US, a cooperation agreement between Braskem and the Philadelphia
Eagles
has led to the creation of a recycling program for bottle caps and other plastic
products used at the team’s Lincoln Financial Field stadium and its training
center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The joint work has also resulted in
developing an online education platform for 30 public schools in that US state
to teach students about career opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering
and Mathematics (STEM). And another partnership between Braskem and Mural Arts
Philadelphia, the largest public art program in the US, is turning plastic
materials used in the mural creation process into resins that are converted into
new plastic products such as buckets, benches and other materials that are used
again by the artists.
In Mexico, we launched
Plastianguis
— an educational program for exchanging plastic waste for basic baskets and
educational materials such as books, stationery and laboratory equipment used by
schools and universities. The last two editions, held in Mexico City and in
Nanchital in Veracruz, collected almost 40 metric tons of plastic waste.
Braskem — and the industry, in general — is at the beginning of a journey that
will bring positive impacts to humanity, turning the current challenges into an
opportunity for all. Industrial sector re-education and consumer awareness are
key elements for this new market logic.
Published Jul 30, 2019 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST
Sponsored Content
/ This article is sponsored by
Braskem.
This article, produced in cooperation with the Sustainable Brands editorial team, has been paid for by one of our sponsors.
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