Chemical company BASF has announced a significant long-term supply agreement with circular chemical manufacturer Encina Development Group for circular benzene.
Benzene is a chemically recycled product derived from post-consumer plastics.
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The partnership is a strategic move towards enhancing the circular economy and integrating sustainable raw materials into BASF’s production.
The chemically recycled benzene will be incorporated into BASF’s extensive Ccycled product portfolio.
BASF Traded Products vice-president Thomas Ohlinger said: “The use of benzene derived from post-consumer plastics as raw material in BASF’s value chains underscores our ongoing commitment to transition towards non-fossil and circular alternatives.
“Through our partnership with Encina, we drive BASF’s transformation by increasing recycling-based feedstocks to offer more Ccycled products to our customers, for example in the packaging, textile and automotive industries.”
Encina’s proprietary catalytic technology produces circular feedstocks that are essential for manufacturing a variety of plastics.
These circular chemicals play a role in the production of everyday and new plastic products.
Encina CEO PhD David Roesser said: “This agreement is a big step on the transformative journey towards a truly circular economy, where waste is minimised, and resources are maximised for a more sustainable future.”
In producing its Ccycled products, BASF replaces conventional fossil raw materials with recycled feedstock from the chemical recycling of plastic waste within its integrated production chain.
The recycled feedstock, including benzene, is allocated to specific Ccycled products through a certified mass balance approach.
BASF’s sites and Ccycled products are certified by internationally recognised schemes such as REDcert2 and International Sustainability and Carbon Certification PLUS.
Recently, BASF expanded its biopolymers portfolio with the introduction of a biomass-balanced ecoflex polybutylene adipate terephthalate variant.
