Braskem receives ISCC Plus certification for all US polypropylene sites

Braskem, the largest polyolefins producer in the Americas, has had all five of its existing sites in the country ISCC PLUS certified.

An industry-leading certification program called ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon) offers sustainable feedstocks transparency and traceability throughout the whole supply chain. It confirms that mass balance accounting adheres to clear and well-defined regulations for businesses utilizing the mass balance approach. The certification confirms that all feedstocks adhere to social and environmental norms and offer traceability along the supply chain.

CEO Mark Nikolich, said that the achievement of ISCC PLUS certifications for Braskem’s US production sites is a significant step forward in the company’s pursuit of its vision of a circular economy that is carbon neutral. Increasing the usage of both recycled and renewable feedstocks and the creation of more sustainable PP for their clients via the mass balance chain of custody is a vital step in our shift.

The sites concerned are situated in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania; Kenova, West Virginia; LaPorte, Oyster Creek; and Seadrift, all in Texas; and Kenova, Pennsylvania.

With this new capability, Braskem America will be able to sell its customers certified circular and bio-attributed PP solutions faster.

By 2025 and 2030, respectively, the company hopes to increase sales of its portfolio of products with recycled content to 300,000 tons and one million tons. Braskem is enhancing mechanical and advanced recycling, removing obstacles, and assuring the expanded production of high-quality recycled material by collaborating and investing in partnerships with other value-chain participants.

The proposed new facility would make use of Braskem’s tried-and-true, in-house technology to transform bioethanol into physically segregated bio-based polypropylene, and the company is looking into possible partnership opportunities with a number of customers, brand owners, and suppliers for the project.

Nikolich, said that in order to support their ambitious sustainability goals and provide practical answers. They are currently assessing a proposal to make the world’s first bio-based polypropylene on an industrial scale, building on their core technology and market leadership. As a recognized innovator and producer of bio-based materials, they have witnessed a tremendous increase in the demand for their bio-based materials since our initial product launches. This new US-based enterprise would lessen its dependency on fossil feedstock in addition to serving the rising need for sustainable alternatives.

The largest ethanol production industry in the world is located in the USA, which also has access to a sufficient amount of supply, infrastructure, and technology for a project in the PP value chain. With the same technical characteristics and recyclability as Braskem’s current PP portfolio, but with the added benefit of having a lower carbon footprint, Braskem’s bio-based PP would be a drop-in replacement.