BASF Launches ChemCycling in the United States

PORT ARTHUR, Texas-- For the first time, BASF brings Ccycled® products manufactured in the U.S. to the market using feedstock from plastic waste. Leveraging its global expertise in ChemCycling®, BASF is offering customers ISSC+ certified advanced recycled building blocks from the BASF TotalEnergies Petrochemicals (BTP) facility in Port Arthur, Texas. ChemCycling utilizes recycled feedstock that is derived from plastic waste in the conventional production process, thereby partially replacing fossil resources.

The recycled feedstock is attributed to the advanced recycled building blocks via a mass balance approach. These building blocks can be used for many BASF products manufactured in the U.S., for example super absorbent polymers, engineered plastics or polyurethanes.

“As a pioneer in the industry for advanced recycling, BASF is building on its experience, innovative strength and great partnerships along the value chain to create a more circular economy for plastics,” said Dr. Gulay Serhatkulu, Senior Vice President Petrochemicals, BASF North America. “By using recycled raw materials at the beginning of the chemical value chain, plastic waste becomes a resource, creating value for the environment, society and the economy.”

Each year, less than 9% of plastic waste is recycled in the U.S.1 By establishing advanced recycling as a complementary solution to mechanical recycling, it is possible to utilize more plastic waste, particularly plastics that cannot be recycled mechanically for technological, economic, or ecological reasons. These include plastics with residues and mixed plastic waste fractions, which would otherwise be landfilled or incinerated.

“We are excited to highlight this new local production to our customers. New products from advanced recycling have the same properties as products using fossil-derived building blocks,” said Johanne Wilson, Business Development Manager for ChemCycling at BASF. “Our customers can process Ccycled products in the same way as conventionally manufactured products for use in their downstream businesses including high-performance packaging and demanding applications such as automotive or construction.”

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America and had sales of $25.7 billion in 2022. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com/us.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 111,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €87.3 billion in 2022. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.

1 Source: “Advancing Sustainable Materials management: Facts and Figures 2018”, December 2020, US EPA