Braskem bioplastics director: Low carbon circular economy transition poses capacity, validation and public perception challenges

13 May 2021 --- With the Rethinking Materials virtual summit (May 19-20) now less than a week away, PackagingInsights interviews Marco Jansen, Braskem’s director of circular economy and sustainability for EU and Asia and global director of bioplastics. Jansen is also a member of the summit’s advisory board. 

In this wide-ranging discussion, Jansen discusses the Brazilian petrochemical company’s bioplastics innovation, recent ISCC Plus certification and recycling technologies. He also weighs in on environmental debates, including climate change, food waste and bio-based materials versus fossil-based plastics.

What message will Braskem be promoting at the Rethinking Materials summit?
Jansen: Braskem’s role is to be a catalyst for the transition to circular sustainable plastics. We set out our vision for a circular economy for plastics in 2018, with an emphasis on collaboration, innovation and communication. Since then, we have seen the situation and market evolve, and many other actors are joining this space, which is positive. Yet there is no time to stand still, and many gaps in the chain remain. Ultimately, our message is that sustainable chemistry can improve everyday lives.

One of the summit’s key themes is integrating bio-based materials into existing supply chains. In what ways is Braskem helping achieve this aim?
Jansen: Braskem obviously has a great deal of experience in how to incorporate bio-based feedstock into the plastic value chain. This began in 2010, when we launched I’m green on the market and continues today with a range of different bio-based materials either already on sale or in development. An example is our green EVA, a bio-based rubber substitute, which can be used by footwear manufacturers to decouple from fossil resources. 

Our aim is to expand not only the range but also the volume within our portfolio so we can keep up with growing demand for these solutions. The challenge with bio-sourcing has always and will always remain the same: sustainability. We are continuing to improve and mature the production and use of sugarcane, but we are looking to assess the sustainability of other types of biomass as well. It is not easy to match the life cycle advantages of sugarcane, but it is important to continuously assess and develop our knowledge of other first and second-generation feedstock.Braskem is continuing to mature production of sugarcane biomass while assessing the sustainability of other types of biomass. 

What are the challenges in balancing more environmentally sustainable plastics – like I’m green products – with reduced carbon requirements?
Jansen: There are many challenges to developing more sustainable materials, particularly around capacity, validation of claims, and good communication. Originally, Braskem opted to go for a segregated approach, but an additional challenge is related to the use of novel technologies or practices, such as the mass balance approach, which are still relatively misunderstood. The transition to a low carbon circular economy poses many challenges, and many of them rely on achieving industry alignment and legislator buy-in. Lastly, the perception challenge within wider society is significant and not easily resolved. 

Braskem is facing all of these challenges as constructively as possible. Our ambition is to raise these issues with stakeholders and work collaboratively to find solutions. Wherever possible we are keen to take the lead, given our history, but we cannot do this alone. In Europe, we will have to move quickly as environmental policy will push the industry to demonstrate its decarbonization efforts in the very near future.

Food waste is recognized as a major climate change contributor. Can bioplastics compete with conventional plastics on the shelf life front?
Jansen: Plastics have a crucial role to play in the preservation of food and clearly any sustainable packaging material should not have any negative impact on shelf life preservation. Some biopolymers have different functional properties that can be used to either enhance shelf life or reduce food waste. So-called drop-in bio-based plastics offer exactly the same technical performance on top of the environmental benefits they bring.Braskem’s I'm green polyethylene bioplastic is produced from sugarcane. 

What are the main advantages and disadvantages of bioplastics compared to fossil-based plastics?
Jansen: The advantages are numerous: bio-based plastics can help to reduce an application’s carbon footprint and decouple a product from fossil resources. In a world fighting climate change, this can be a very powerful message. Furthermore, bio-based drop-ins have the added advantage of being a quick fix, both within the converting stage and also at the end-of-life, given they are compatible with existing machinery and waste and recycling systems.

The drawbacks are the intense scrutiny they face when it comes to their sustainability claims, and the higher costs when compared to fossil counterparts.

Braskem recently received ISCC Plus certification, guaranteeing circular products using the mass balance concept. What is the mass balance concept and how does the certification process work?
Jansen: The principle of mass balance is to allocate the characteristics or environmental benefits of one material to another. The mass balance methodology ensures traceability throughout the whole supply chain. Thus, customers can be confident in getting the right drop-in product for their needs while demonstrating their commitment to building responsible value chains.

Braskem is already processing bio-attributed propylene through its Wesseling site, with the propylene being produced from bio-naphtha, itself a co-product from the renewable diesel production process. The material is verified by ISCC, a global certification recognized as a leading system for both recycled and bio-based materials. It is used to ensure traceability along the supply chain and compliance with environmental and social standards. ISCC certified both of Braskem’s European production sites (Schkopau and Wesseling, Germany) to offer not only bio-attributed but also circular PP from chemical recycling.

What is next on the radar for Braskem?
Jansen: Braskem recently announced a US$61 million investment in the capacity expansion of our I’m green polyethylene solutions, and we are working on a variety of potential projects to support the ambitious commitment we made related to our carbon neutrality goals, as well as initiatives to support the recycling value chain. Hopefully we can share more good news about these initiatives quite soon.

Jansen: Braskem is investing in both mechanical and chemical recycling as complementary technologies. 

By Joshua Poole

Ahead of the Rethinking Materials virtual summit, PackagingInsights also spoke with event speakers Hugo Menilo, Unilever’s global foods packaging director, DuPont’s Renee Henze, director of global marketing and commercial development for bio-based materials and Dr. Michael Saltzberg, global business director for biomaterials, and Jun Wang, packaging innovation and global design for Colgate-Palmolive.