BASF expands its offering for sustainable food production: Its certified compostable biopolymer ecovio® can now also be used to manufacture black twines used to grow annual fruit and vegetables in commercial greenhouses. The grade ecovio® T 2206 is certified industrial compostable according to EN13432. This means that after harvesting the twines can be collected together with the plant residues and transported to industrial composting facilities (depending on local regulations) where they biodegrade. With this new end-of-life option for twines, persistent microplastics in organic waste can be avoided while at the same time more green waste can be turned into valuable compost. The industrial compostable ecovio® thus supports organic recycling and helps to close the nutrient loop to achieve a circular economy.
Twines made of ecovio® T 2206 can be used to help creepers like tomatoes and cucumbers to climb upwards in greenhouse structures in many climates from Europe, South America to Asia and Canada: Tests show the twines’ excellent performance until the end of the crop cycle. After harvesting farmers do not have to laboriously separate the twines from the plants but simply collect them together for composting. The certified industrial compostable twines do not only show benefits for farmers but also for manufacturers: ecovio® T 2206 can be produced on standard polypropylene (PP) machinery for twines.
BASF’s biopolymers portfolio for sustainable agriculture and food production also includes the certified soil-biodegradable grade ecovio® M 2351 (according to EN 17033). It was especially developed for mulch films used in agriculture and horticulture to increase the yield, speed up harvesting as well as to save water and herbicides. Mulch films made of ecovio® M 2351 are completely and biologically degraded by microorganisms like bacteria and fungi that exist naturally in the soil. Farmers can simply plough the mulch films made of ecovio® M 2351 back into the ground after harvest. This saves time and money - and it helps to avoid persistent microplastics in agricultural soil which would occur, if farmers used conventional mulch films made of non-biodegradable polyethylene (PE).
BASF’s biopolymer ecovio® is certified compostable in accordance with standards such as EN13432. It is a blend of BASF’s PBAT ecoflex® and renewable raw materials. Typical applications for ecovio® are organic waste bags, cling film, fruit and vegetable bags, as well as agricultural mulch films and food packaging applications. Studies show the advantages of ecovio® for production, packaging and shelf life of food as well as for the collection of food waste. These advantages are based on the material’s certified biodegradability in industrial and home composting as well as in agricultural soil: Food waste is reduced, nutrients are returned to the soil by means of greater volumes of compost – and the accumulation of persistent microplastics in agricultural soil is avoided. This contributes to a circular economy by closing the nutrient cycle via organics recycling.
Further information: www.ecovio.basf.com and www.biopolymers.basf.com
About BASF’s Performance Materials division
BASF’s Performance Materials division is at the forefront of the much-needed sustainability transformation in plastics. Our products are co-created with customers around the globe to bring innovations to major industry sectors such as transportation, consumer goods, industrial applications, and construction. Our R&D focuses on all stages of the plastics journey: Make, Use and Recycle. The MAKE phase is about improving how plastics are made, from product design to the choice of raw materials and the manufacturing process itself. The USE phase enhances plastics’ strengths such as light weight, robustness, and thermal resistance. At the end of the product lifecycle, the RECYCLE phase looks at how to close the loop to achieve a circular economy. In 2023, the Performance Materials division achieved global sales of €7.2 billion. Join #ourplasticsjourney at: https://www.performance-materials.basf.com
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €68.9 billion in 2023. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.
BASF offers range of chemical intermediates with product carbon footprint significantly below global market average
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Read MoreBASF and Evonik agree on first deliveries of biomass-balanced ammonia with reduced carbon footprint
BASF and its customer Evonik have agreed on the first delivery of BASF’s ammonia BMBcertTM grade. Thereby, both chemical companies demonstrate their commitment to offer products with a reduced product carbon footprint (PCF). With its ammonia BMBcert, BASF delivers to Evonik a product whose PCF is at least 65 % lower than the standard product*. Both, BASF and Evonik are extending their product portfolios and launching ammonia-based products applying a biomass balance approach. These products are readily available via existing sales channels and fully integrated into the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems of the companies.“Evonik and BASF share the same vision: We are convinced that the chemical industry can transform and replace fossil with renewable feedstocks and utilities. The supply with ammonia BMBcert is a big milestone for both of us,” said Dr. Jens Aßmann, Vice President Business Management Ammonia Value Chain and Operations Amino Resins at BASF. Evonik has received a first shipment of ammonia BMBcert produced by BASF. By incorporating BASF’s ammonia BMBcert into its ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) PLUS certified production processes, Evonik demonstrates its commitment to a more sustainable economy and its ambitious emissions reduction targets. By 2030, Evonik seeks to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 25 % and Scope 3 emissions by 11 % compared to 2021 levels, and to become climate-neutral by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement and validated by Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi). Evonik plans to use ammonia BMBcert to produce a range of sustainable products, including VESTAMIN® IPD eCO and VESTAMID® eCO Polyamide 12. “eCO” stands for Evonik’s aim to eliminate CO2 via mass balance approach using renewable feedstock in existing systems and production processes. With the eCO grades, customers benefit from more sustainable products with no compromise in performance. Thus, conventional, trusted VESTAMIN curing agents for epoxy resin systems with typical applications in industrial flooring, marine and anticorrosive paints can easily be replaced by the IPD eCO grade. The same proves true for VESTAMID eCO Polyamide 12, which covers tailored, high-performance polyamide, typically found in shoe soles, sunglasses, gas pipes, safety-related automotive parts and many more. “We are excited to partner with BASF to source ammonia with a reduced carbon footprint. This collaboration witnesses our dedication to environmental stewardship and our ability to innovate in a rapidly changing market,” said Silvia Torrado, Global Procurement Director for Base Petrochemicals at Evonik.BASF applies a biomass balance approach to replace fossil resources at the beginning of the production process with certified biomethane from biowaste raw materials which are attributed to the product. The mass-balanced product is certified according to ISCC PLUS standards. In addition, BASF is using electricity from renewable sources for the manufacturing of the ammonia, further reducing its PCF. As outlined in its sustainability roadmap, the BASF Monomers Division announced to offer at least one circular or lower PCF option for every major product line by 2025. Mass balanced products are drop-in solutions, meaning they have the same properties as the corresponding conventional products, but with an attributed share of circular raw materials. The division’s sustainable offerings are an essential part of BASF’s path to climate neutrality and net-zero CO2emissions by 2050. * Based on the average CO2 footprints stated in the “Default values for the transitional period for the CBAM between October 1, 2023 and December 31, 2025” published by the European Commission on Dec 22, 2023.
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