Braskem reinforces its commitment to Circular Economy and digital transformation at the K Trade Fair

Braskem, the largest producer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas and a world leader in the production of biopolymers, will present solutions, technologies and new partnerships focused on Circular Economy and will also reinforce the advances of its Digital Centre in the K Trade Fair 2019, the world’s largest event in the plastics and rubber sector.

The fair is a great opportunity for Braskem to present its commitments to the Circular Economy and to invite clients and visitors to get involved in the mission to use renewable resources, recycling and reuse of plastic. The company is a pioneer in the production of Polyethylene and EVA from renewable sources , resins produced from sugar cane. The company has set an ambitious target in 2018 for the Circular Economy: all plastic packaging manufactured with Braskem products will be reused, recycled or recovered by 2040. The company is committed to creating a sustainable production cycle, from raw materials to disposal.

Braskem’s CEO, Fernando Musa, highlights the importance of the company’s new strategy, which reinforces their commitment to sustainability growth and presence in new markets . “We are introducing our new and unprecedented developments in Germany and establishing our circular portfolio, showing that we can offer the best and most sustainable solutions to our customers.”

Walmir Soller, Vice President of the Europe and Asia Olefins and Polyolefins Unit, commented on the importance of the event for the global industry. “The K Trade Fair is the world’s largest event in the plastics industry. Participating in this fair and launching new products, partnerships, projects and solutions, emphasizing the importance of Circular Economy, confirms Braskem’s global presence and its capacity to serve clients from all over the world,” he says.

Reduction of CO2 footprint in partnership with Kautex Maschinenbau

Aware of the growing relevance of Climate Change, Braskem provides solutions for CO₂ reduction and adaptation to such changes. As a publicly traded company present in the CDP Climate A, CDP Water A and CDP Supply A lists, Braskem has already reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 21% since 2008. In order to further increase its contribution, Braskem will officially announce at the K Trade Fair its partnership with Kautex Maschinenbau where it will begin to supply a resin that is a blend of renewable resource plastic, produced from sugarcane, with post-consumption resin (PCR), for the innovative production of bottles made of three layers of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), including a packing consisting of foam. This new resin will offer a complete circular solution, which will also reduce the final products CO₂ footprint. The two companies have been working together with EREMA a manufacturer of plastic recycling machinery, which will collect the bottles produced at the K Trade Fair and send them for recycling. A session will be held in which the new bottle will be recycled live at the EREMA Circonomic Centre on Saturday, October 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

In addition, other selected products from Braskem’s resin portfolio will be presented at the stands of the main machinery suppliers at the K Trade Fair. For example, Flexus 3600 and PP RF70 resins of Braskem will be used in SML machines; a new stretch film solution produced from renewable source shrink film will be used by Carnevalli; the Prisma 6810 resin will be used by Gabler; the I’m greenTM  resins, also produced from renewable resources will be used by  Euro Machinery; and Maxio® PG480 resin will be used in the Windmöller & Hölscher’s machines.

Edison Terra, vice president of the South America Olefins and Polyolefins Unit, adds: “The whole chain should seek a circular mentality, from integration of production, use, disposal and recycling. We believe that the K Trade Fair is a great opportunity to highlight our approach to circular economy. We think this will lead to new partnerships with other committed companies, which will incorporate circularity into new products, increasing efficiency and facilitating recycling and reuse of plastic products.”

Introducing Digital Transformation 

At the event, Braskem will also present its Digital Transformation strategy, a journey led by its newly created Digital Center, which acts as a change catalyst to transform Braskem’s heart, based on initiatives that make use of technologies such as drones, sensors and machine learning to capture operational efficiency gains and improve the cost-benefit ratio.  The Digital Center also acts as an incubator for new business models, through a series of new projects. Braskem’s Digital strategy will help improve key processes, from product development to sale, including the Intelligent Smart Factory (Industry 4.0) and Advanced Planning.

One of the goals is to create a digital work environment in which the employees can use and take advantage of cutting-edge technologies to promote innovation. Braskem’s CEO, Fernando Musa, explains that this digital transformation is a major milestone in the company’s history: “From advanced analysis to automation, artificial intelligence and Internet of Things applications, Braskem is taking advantage of the newest digital technologies and agile methodologies to significantly increase its performance and thus transform the way we do business. This gives us a great competitive leverage, allowing us to have new margin opportunities and continue to offer maximum quality to our customers.”

Always looking for opportunities to grow globally

Braskem is proud to once again highlight at the K Trade Fair another crucial project for its growth. In 2017, the company announced an investment of US$675 million for the construction of its sixth polypropylene (PP) industrial unit in the United States. The project, named Delta, is being built in La Porte, Texas, and will be the largest and most energy-efficient PP unit in North America, with a production capacity of 450 million tons per year. By the end of the second quarter of 2019, two thirds of the plant was almost complete, and the with production expected to begin in the first half of 2020.

Promised as one of the largest deliveries at the 2016 K Trade Fair, Braskem concluded the construction of the Idesa Petrochemical Complex in Veracruz, Mexico.  The US$5.2 billion project increased the company’s resin production by 1.05 million tons, totaling 8.7 million tons of global production capacity.

These two large projects reinforce Braskem’s capacity to grow and deliver its projects on time.

Fernando Musa states: “In 2007, we presented at the fair our development of the Green Polyethylene, and, in 2010 the Green Polyethylene was finished. In 2013, we were building the complex in Mexico, the most modern petrochemical plant in the Americas, which became a reality in 2016. And now, we are announcing our new PP production line named Delta, which will be concluded and be operational in 2020.”

  New products at the K Trade Fair 

Braskem has selected several new products to be introduced at the K Trade Fair 2019:

1. Tubular low-density polyethylene grid developed to meet the extrusion coating segment. It offers superior stability and strength for the coating of various substrates, including paper, cardboard, aluminum and other polymers, as well as applications in aseptic, non-aseptic and raffia packagings.
2. Braskem’s newest brand of health products, Medcol, will be introduced at the event. Medcol is Braskem’s new portfolio of medical products, which will build long-lasting and reliable bonds in the healthcare industry, with the co-creation of unique and customized solutions to improve people’s lives.
3. New PP grid called DP213A, the newest grid of Maxio line, with low fluidity index and anti-UV additivation. The resin was specially developed to meet the customers’ demands for raffia tapes and higher productivity in the extrusion stage. Its use allows companies in the big bag segment (large bags used to pack and transport grains, fertilizers, ores and chemical products) to increase their production by 30% without increasing energy consumption.
4. In the segment of Covers and Closures, Braskem offers the most complete portfolio of solutions in PE, PP, Renewable and PCR to meet the needs of the market and grow together with its customers. Braskem will exhibit in the event caps for carbonated beverages, mineral water, food, cleaning and hygiene items.
5. Braskem will also present its solutions for the agribusiness, civil construction, automotive, and footwear segments, and other sectors, which will include some of the already famous solutions, such as Braskem Evance, Braskem Proxess and Braskem Rigeo Lumios.