Braskem invests R$67 million in recycling line with German technology

Committed to a carbon-neutral circular economy, Braskem announces an important investment to expand its post-consumer resin (PCR) portfolio. In partnership with Valoren, a company specializing in developing and operating technologies for transforming solid waste, Braskem will invest R$67 million in the construction of a recycling line with capacity to transform some 250 million pieces of packaging into 14,000 tons of high-quality, post-consumer resin per year. The project, which will be installed in Indaiatuba, in the interior region of São Paulo state, is expected to start operations in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Fabiana Quiroga, Braskem’s Circular Economy Director for South America, explained that the technology is a powerful ally for leveraging recycling in Brazil and consequently the market for post-consumer polymers. “Waste recovery rates have been growing gradually over recent years, and we believe that, among the challenges the sector still faces, increasing the quality of PCR, which expands its potential applications, is key to driving this market’s development. We are very pleased to announce this partnership with Valoren, which will add to our business its expertise in waste management and supply, as well as the development of recycling technologies, benefitting the entire plastics value chain,” she said.   

The waste processed on the recycling line is mostly household, including rigid polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) materials, such as food, cleaning, hygiene and beauty product packaging. After processed, the material will be used to make high-quality PCR resin.

The recycling line is a modular complex formed by different phases of the process. Plastic waste input at the start of the process undergoes the phases of crushing, washing, extrusion and homogenization. The project arrangement is unprecedented and the machinery features cutting-edge European technology complemented by local equipment.

The project’s differentials include a high-performance washing line with an optical selector for removing contaminants based on color and material type; homogenization silos; highly-accurate systems for dosing additives and inputs; and a module for eliminating odors and high-performance polymer filtering, which improves the quality of the final PCR. The system also adopts best sustainability practices, which include treatments using recirculated water to optimize water and energy use. In addition, the project reinforces Braskem’s commitment to adopt best practices for controlling pellets, the form in which plastic resin is sold.

“We strongly believe in this partnership with Braskem by contributing to the development of an innovative project that brings to Brazil the world’s best technology in mechanical recycling, which is fully aligned with Valoren’s mission to foster the circular economy by valuing waste and applying innovative technologies and business models. The project not only represents technological and economic advances, but also environmental and social improvements by incorporating into the plant a new supply chain of materials that will increase the recycling of plastic waste and professionalize recyclers in Brazil,” said Heinz-Peter Elstrodt, chairman of the board of Valoren.

“Braskem was created with the goal of sustainable development inherent to its business, and the circular economy has always been part of our mindset. We believe in the importance of engaging all links of the chain, from industry to consumer, to advance this transformation we want as a society. This recycling line is yet another important step in building this journey,” said Fabiana. 

Plastic’s contribution to neutralizing carbon emissions

Braskem, the largest producer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas and the world’s leading producer of biopolymers, announced in November an expansion in its efforts to become a carbon neutral company by 2050. To achieve this target, the company’s strategy considers initiatives to reduce, offset and capture carbon.

Among the targets defined, the company plans, by 2030, to reduce by 15% its greenhouse gas emissions and to expand its I’m green^TM portfolio, which comprises products focusing on the circular economy, to include, by 2025, 300,000 tons of thermoplastic resins and chemical products with recycled content and reaching 1 million tons of these products by 2030. The company also will work to achieve over the next ten years the proper disposal of 1.5 million tons of plastic waste.

Braskem’s initiatives for the coming decades are aligned with the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations (UN), its 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement to control impacts from climate change. Learn about Braskem’s manifesto at www.braskem.com.br/macroobjetivos .