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Sustainable Solutions for the EPS Industry

We use alternative production approaches to produce the same products more sustainably.

We create chemistry for a sustainable future. Sustainability is one of the key topics of the BASF corporate strategy and includes all elements from the value-added chain and production to recyling. The Circular Economy of the polystyrene applications Styropor® and  Neopor® reflects these efforts of BASF and shows how sustainable packaging and sustainable construction can work. 

 

The Biomass Balance Approach

Reduce CO2 emissions and save fossil raw materials in the production of EPS.

The biomass balance method (BMB), certified by German technical inspection authority REDcert, means that fossil raw materials required for the manufacture of EPS (expandable polystyrene) can be replaced with renewable feedstock. Production methods of this kind save valuable resources and reduce CO2 emissions at the same time. The use of biomass-balanced Styropor® and Neopor®, known as Styropor® BMB and Neopor® BMB for short, protects the environment and the climate while maintaining the usual high quality. This is because they are identical to their fossil equivalents in terms of their formulation and properties.

Infographic describing BASF production approach. 1. fossil resources are mixed, 2.with renewable raw materials 3. at the very beginning of the production verbund, 4. and the attributes to the respective sales products using a certified calculation model. lastly the product with a certificate detailing fossil resource saving and a declaration of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

ChemCycling™

Closing the Loop: Plastic waste becomes a raw material for virgin material through chemical recycling. Using recycled feedstock derived from plastic waste for our Styropor® Ccycled™. 

Plastic waste, for example from mixed household plastic packaging cannot be mechanically recycled due to contaminations or insufficient quantities. Our partners convert this plastic waste into new raw material.

As part of BASF’s ChemCycling™ project, we use this recycled raw material to produce virgin grade Styropor® Cycled™. This EPS variant makes a visible and plausible contribution to the sustainability of packaging and the goals of our customers.

Mcycled™​

Closing the Loop: Mechanical Recycling of EPS 

Specialized companies process EPS waste into secondary products that are returned to the economic cycle, using the process of extrusion. The shred produced from this waste is used as an additive for the plaster and mortar industry, as a filling material for seat cushions, as a pore-forming agent for the brick industry or as a thermally insulating levelling compound in the construction of flooring. The so-called “polystyrene regranulate” (rPS) goes to the insulation and packaging industry, e.g. to produce XPS insulation boards and Neopor® Mcycled™.