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BASF to Showcase Recycling Additive Solutions at K 2022

Published on 2022-06-27. Edited By : SpecialChem

TAGS: Sustainability / Natural Solutions Additives for Packaging K Show 2022

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BASF will present its journey to advance towards the goal of a circular economy at K 2022 trade fair, in Düsseldorf, Germany, from October 19 – 26, 2022.

“The crucial question about plastics is what happens to them at the end of their life,” emphasizes Dr. Martin Jung, president performance materials. “To achieve a circular economy, we need to get much better at the recycling of plastics to close the loop.”

Additives Improving Mechanical Recycling

To advance the RECYCLE phase of the plastics journey, BASF offers several product packages that pursue and expand all existing recycling methods.

While the BASF subsidiary trinamiX offers innovative mobile near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy solutions for sorting and identifying different types of plastic waste, BASF’s IrgaCycle™ is a new range of additive solutions that improves the mechanical recycling of plastics. For chemical recycling, BASF offers a variety of products containing raw materials obtained via ChemCycling™.

To complete the recycling methods, the BASF booth also features the certified compostable biopolymer ecovio®: It supports organic recycling of food waste and food-soiled packaging thus increasing the diversion of food waste from landfill and incineration.

“At K 2022, our theme is ‘Go!Create – Welcome to Our Plastics Journey’,” says Dr. Martin Jung, president performance materials, “We invite all visitors to join our journey towards a sustainable future with plastics. The plastics journey consists of three phases which represent the lifecycle of plastics: MAKE, USE, and RECYCLE. BASF offers products and solutions for all three phases of this journey.

Recycled Feedstock to Reduce Product Carbon Footprint

BASF will also showcase a number of solutions to reduce the product carbon footprint using renewable or recycled feedstock like in the case of the Styrenics portfolio in packaging and construction. BASF’s biomass balance certified materials are also used by customers from the furniture industry or by a safety shoe brand offering a carbon neutral safety shoe containing BASF’s biomass balance polyurethane certified according to REDcert2.

Another example how plastics and thereby consumer products can be manufactured more sustainably are outdoor pants made of raw materials obtained via the chemical recycling of end-of-life tires using BASF’s Ultramid® Ccycled™.

Jung adds, “The projects range from products that have net-zero or low Product Carbon Footprints to new products made from recycled raw materials to conserve fossil raw materials. As an integrated company with our own base chemical production, we are a key enabler in helping our customers decarbonize their value chains.”

BASF has committed to reducing CO₂ emissions by 25% by 2030 and reaching net zero CO₂ emissions by 2050. Another strong focus will be on digital and data-driven value chain models that help BASF’s customers transform towards a CO₂ neutral future. In this area, BASF has introduced an industry-leading digital application to calculate the CO₂ emissions of around 45,000 BASF sales products.