Braskem reinforces commitment to Circular Economy at Feiplastic 2019

Braskem, the largest thermoplastic resin producer in the Americas and the world’s leading biopolymer producer, will reinforce at Feiplastic, Latin America’s largest plastic trade fair, its positioning to promote the Circular Economy, a consumption concept based on sustainable product cycles from the manufacturing phase to final disposal. At the event, which will be held from April 22 to 26 at Expo Center Norte in São Paulo, visitors can check out the latest developments in the company’s product portfolio, such as the expansion of its post-consumer solutions.

“We’re committed to contributing to the transformation from a Linear Economy, based on production and disposal, to a Circular Economy, which adopts a cyclical concept of disposal and production. We believe that Feiplastic will serve as an important channel for broadening discussion on this topic and for raising awareness in our value chain,” said Edison Terra, vice-president of the Polyolefins South America & Europe Business Unit. In November 2018, the company undertook a public commitment that outlines eight initiatives to promote the Circular Economy, which include efforts to forge partnerships with clients for designing new products to capture efficiency gains and facilitating the recycling and reuse of plastic products.

Created to encourage businesses that extract value from post-consumer plastic waste, the Wecycle initiative has supported advances and is bringing new grades to market. Products and solutions using plastic waste are developed through partnerships with clients, recyclers, co-operatives and brand owners, such as Grupo Pão de Açúcar, Condor, Embalixo and Martiplast. The new portfolio of recycled resins strengthens Braskem’s commitment to Brazil’s plastics chain, to innovation and to sustainability, in alignment with its positioning on the Circular Economy.

Other sustainable solutions developed by the company will be showcased at the event, such as the I’m green^TM renewable portfolio, which includes Green Plastic and Green EVA, two resins made from sugarcane and which help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Another example is the Maxio line, which is formed by resin grades that reduce energy consumption, boost productivity and lower final product weights, which in turn ensures efficiency gains and consequently environmental gains.

Visitors to the Braskem space also will have an opportunity to learn about a new solution for the packaging market: the monomaterial stand-up pouch, a product that facilitates recycling. The company also will showcase its robust portfolios for the thermoformed packaging segment for chemical and agrochemical products, lids and caps, and resins for making paint buckets.

“Constantly monitoring major trends to remain at the industry forefront, Braskem will showcase its largest portfolio ever at Feiplastic. As a company that is passionate about transforming and that strives to maintain close and personalized relations with its customers, Braskem has developed solutions that meet a wide array of needs,” said Terra.

Interactive awareness on recycling

Post-consumption is a key phase of the economy’s circular process that requires the active participation of each person to fully function. To promote and support consumer engagement in this cycle, Braskem is bringing to Feiplastic a modular structure that communicates all phases of the recycling process in a dynamic and educational manner.

The “Recycling is Transforming” project shows the entire process for consumers, from separating waste until its transformation into new products, emphasizing the importance that proper disposal has in this cycle. The initiative was first launched at the eco-event Virada Sustentável in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, and will be featured at other events throughout 2019.

Fabiana Quiroga, Braskem’s Director of Recycling and the Wecycle Platform, said that the company is committed to educating and engaging the entire plastics chain on the material’s recycling. “We believe that initiatives like this are important for broadening people’s knowledge and for giving value to plastic waste in the economy, especially the role we all play in this process,” she said.

Another educational initiative by Braskem, this time in partnership with the Brazilian Plastics Industry Association (ABIPLAST), is the Plastics Chain Incentive Plan (PICPlast), which also will have a dedicated space at the company’s booth, which will share information on the importance of conscientious consumerism and proper waste disposal.

The PICPlast space is part of a series of activities planned by the program to promote actions to foster innovation, competitiveness and sustainable development in Brazil’s plastics converter industry.

Inova Plastic Space

During Feiplastic, Braskem also will participate in Inova Plastic, a forum for debating technology, innovation and trends during the event. The company will participate in two ways. First, Fabio Buckeridge, the company’s CDO, will participate on the panel “Innovation in the Digital Era,” which will discuss how disruptive solutions contribute to the competitiveness and productivity of the chemical and petrochemical industry, benefitting the plastics chain. The second way is in the space reserved for recycling, where Braskem will present the 3Rs, a new concept in recycled resins, and showcase its solutions for developing new materials, especially more disruptive solutions with greater potential to enhance the properties of recycled materials in various applications, helping to expand their contribution to the Circular Economy.

Service:

Feiplastic 2019 – International Plastic Trade Fair

Date: April 22-26, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Location: Expo Center Norte – Rua D – Pavilhão Vermelho

Address: Rua José Bernardo Pinto, 333 – Vila Guilherme, São Paulo (SP)

Inova Plastic – “Innovation in the Digital Era” panel

Date: April 25

Time: starts at 4:00 p.m.

Panel participant: Fabio Buckeridge, Braskem’s CDO