Tuesday 14 September 2021

BASF joins sustainable polymer taskforce

Chemical giant BASF has joined a new taskforce looking to make the $125 billion (£90.1bn) polymer industry more sustainable.

The taskforce has been set up by the Royal Society of Chemistry and includes brands such as Unilever, Croda, Crown Paints and Afton Chemical.

It aims to create a circular economy for polymers or PLFs, which are a group of thousands of chemicals in liquid form.

PLFs are used in millions of products such as paints, adhesives, sealants, fertilisers and cosmetics.

The taskforce is exploring PLF biodegradability, circular solutions and the development of new policy to make them more sustainable.

Dr Geoff Mackey, Sustainability Director at BASF, said: “Polymers in liquid formulations is a theme that cuts across many of our core markets and technologies.

“Whether it’s dispersions for paints and adhesives, crop protection products, home and personal care ingredients, or the many other applications in which they are formulated – we want to ensure that we continue to benefit from their use without impacting on the planet or its people.”