Going green: Use of Braskem’s green polyethylene exceeds 150 brands worldwide

04 Jun 2019 --- The number of brands using green polyethylene, produced by Brazilian petrochemical company Braskem, has surpassed 150 worldwide. Made from sugarcane, Braskem’s green plastic “I’m green” was reportedly the first renewable polyethylene to be produced in the world. Braskem, which describes itself as being “at the forefront of renewable polymers and chemicals,” has now formed a partnership with Earth Animal, a US veterinary product group. The result is that Dr. Bob Goldestein’s Wisdom dog food line is to be distributed in the US in packages made from Baskrem’s “I’m green.”

The green plastic touts the same properties as conventional plastic and can be recycled in the same streams, offering consumers greater convenience. “I’m green polyethylene retains the same properties, performance and application versatility of polyethylene from fossil origin – which facilitates immediate use in the plastics production chain. For the same reason, it can also be recycled within the same chain of recycling traditional polyethylene,” Gustavo Sergi, Director of Chemicals and Renewables at Braskem, tells PackagingInsights.

Sugarcane is an example of a versatile and renewable crop that can be used as a clean source of energy and as a raw material for the production of multiple products. “Today, Brazil is the world’s largest sugarcane producer. The move to the modernization of the country’s 430 active mills, which continue adopting new technologies for planting the sugarcane, to the optimization and production of sugar, ethanol and bioelectricity. This has strengthened an industry that is recognized internationally for innovation and production efficiency,” Sergi continues.

Bioethanol, the feedstock for I’m green polyethylene, is derived from sugarcane, a renewable alternative to traditional fossil feedstocks. Being a renewable feedstock, sugarcane captures and fixes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere with every growth cycle, which occurs annually. It captures 3.09 metric tons of carbon dioxide during its production process. This means that the production of the material contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional polyethylene, made from fossil materials.

Green plastics began to be produced on an industrial and commercial scale by Braskem in 2010. In Brazil, large companies already use the product in their packaging, namely the Rio de Janeiro brand Café Favorito; the Lego Group, a toy manufacturer; and Guarany, a producer of equipment for agribusiness. Following years of growth, green polyethylene can now be found in food packaging, hygiene and cleaning products, pet food, cosmetics, dairy drinks, bags, car mats, synthetic grass, wires and cables, among others.

Also this month, Braskem signed a partnership with Athletica Nutrition, a producer of sports nutrition supplements, for the use of I'm green plastic in the packaging of its recently launched product line Best Vegan, a vegan protein distributed in Brazil and in other Latin American countries, such as Paraguay, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Mexico, as well as in China.

“Green polyethylene is the lowest priced biopolymer currently on the market. It is a product of high environmental performance and of simple applicability. All of this adds great value to the entire production chain, which makes Green polyethylene a differentiated product,” notes Sergi. Join the Pipe 

Green partnerships
The innovative profile of the biopolymer has spurred some noteworthy collaborations. In March, Braskem teamed up with Dutch water company Join the Pipe to distribute sustainable and reusable water bottles made with the I’m Green plastic in the US, Africa and Europe. The income generated from marketing the product is intended for more than 300 social projects in developing countries, most of them located in Africa and Asia. 

Projects include the installation of water pumps in villages, distribution of water in schools and clean-up workshops to address the issue of plastic waste. 

Meanwhile, last year, United Caps and Braskem announced a new collaboration aimed at delivering bio-sourced plastic caps made from the company’s green plastic. 

By Laxmi Haigh and Joshua Poole