What are the key areas of focus in sustainable development for Braskem?

JS: We have defined three top priorities to strengthen our contribution to sustainable development. These include climate change and water, and plastics waste. In climate change and water, we are focused on three objectives: improving our processes and our sources, developing new products, and supporting our value chain to bring new applications that could help society to improve its carbon and water efficiency. Through this work, we can highlight Braskem as the global leader on biopolymers production, with green polyethylene and green EVA that both use ethanol from sugarcane as a raw material. Furthermore, Braskem has reduced the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions by 21% from 2008 to 2017, and more than 25% of the water Braskem utilizes comes from reuse.

Managing the full life cycle of the product seems to be the greatest challenge for the industry. Could we have more details on the ‘Wecycle’ program and its main areas of work?

FQ: Braskem’s circular economy position is focused on eight fundamental issues. First, we have to optimize the design of plastic products with our clients and partners for more efficient recycling and reuse. As an example, we developed an innovative resin solution with 98% of recycled material and chemical resistance similar to a virgin resin. Secondly, we will continue investing in the development of renewable-based plastic products. In this respect, we have been producing green PE since 2010 and we launched green EVA in October 2018.

Further to that, we are promoting conscious consumption and recycling, and we are developing new technologies and methodologies for recycling, both on mechanical and chemical fronts. Through our mechanical platform, we are focused on eliminating barriers to using recycled materials in some applications. For example, we announced a competition to eliminate odors in recycled plastic. On the chemical front, we are mapping the different opportunities.

Finally, we are expanding the studies on the life cycle assessment and environmental and climate impacts of plastic, while also promoting partnerships aimed at preventing and solving the problem of marine waste. This initiative will support governments in the development of adequate infrastructure to manage plastic waste.

Could you provide us with some insight into Braskem’s Green PE?

JS: In 2010, Braskem inaugurated the R$500-million [around US$280 million] Triunfo Petrochemical Complex, the largest plant in the world producing ethylene from sugarcane ethanol. The plant, with a production capacity of 200,000 tonnes of green ethylene per year (mt/y), has enabled Braskem to supply the market with resin made from renewable sources. This biopolymer is exceptionally eco-friendly, since the process used to produce each tonne of polyethylene from the primary raw material removes more than three tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The company has established several partnerships to supply green polyethylene to domestic and international clients that have adopted sustainable development as a pillar of their market strategy. This pioneering group of companies includes Tetra Pak, IKEA, Lego, Natura, Johnson & Johnson, Acinplas, and many others.

How do you see the regulatory pressure to eliminate single-use plastics evolving?

FQ: Banning single-use plastics is not the solution and could introduce other adverse effects on the environment. The marine waste issue resulted from a lack of waste management and infrastructure to collect and dispose of plastic properly. Governments must solve this issue, and the industry has to develop the recycling process for these products. For instance, in Brazil we implemented a reverse logistics program of polypropylene (PP) disposable cups, transforming them into new products.

Plastics have brought many sustainability benefits to society, from food and clean water preservation to the reduction of carbon emissions. What other benefits will plastics bring in the future, and how can the industry explain that to wider society?

JS: Besides the aforementioned benefits, we also need to think of healthcare, easy and cheaper mobility and housing, and more resilient infrastructure. Plastics will also bring the possibility of distributed manufacturing through the mass use of 3D printing. All this, however, will only become a reality if society solves the problem of solid waste management. All the positive aspects of our products are not perceived by the society due to the mismanagement of municipal solid waste. Therefore, it is crucial to our future to engage in solving this problem.