As the world’s leading trade fair for plastics and rubber returns to Düsseldorf this October 8th to 15th, BASF is again on board - just as it has been since the very first K-Fair in 1952.
“This year, we manifest our commitment to the plastics industry, and we continue our commitment to sustainability and innovation through our global campaign, #OurPlasticsJourney. More than just a tagline, it reflects our ambition to transform the plastics industry. This journey takes time, but the destination is clear: a circular economy of plastics,” emphas Martin Jung, President of BASF Performance Materials.
At the K-Preview press conference on June 17, BASF has unveiled a first glimpse of what visitors can expect at K 2025: innovative applications tailored to customers’ needs and showcasing real progress in circularity across various businesses and industries.
A product portfolio evolving toward a lower carbon footprint
At K 2022, BASF introduced its LowPCF and ZeroPCF portfolios as solutions to reduce the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) by a minimum of 30%, through the use of renewable electricity, low-emission steam and renewable raw materials, in a mass balance approach. A current example for a ZeroPCF product innovation is Vaude’s bike bag using Ultramid ZeroPCF, the first polyamide 6 in the industry to achieve a CO2 footprint of net zero.
Building on this, BASF has now launched a reduced PCF product range, rPCF, aimed at PCF improvements using renewable electricity and steam alongside the production process. The offering is now available in BASF's Engineering Plastics and Thermoplastic Polyurethanes sustainability toolbox. It follows BASF’s achievement of completely switching all its European Performance Materials plants to renewable electricity powered by solar and wind energy. “With rPCF, we are giving customers flexibility to customize their products’ carbon footprint by opting for renewable energies in our production process. This is a logical next step in both their green transformation and ours,” adds Alexander Weiser, Senior Vice President, Head of BASF Performance Materials Europe.
Make becomes circular
While technology and processes are major levers of transformation, the use of alternative raw materials is equally essential. At K 2025, BASF will showcase products for which fossil resources are replaced with renewable feedstock at the beginning of the production process using the Biomass Balance approach. This helps reducing the carbon footprint of:
- Siemens circuit breaker Sirius 3RV2: Ultramid BMB and Ultradur BMB
- Certified compostable and soil-biodegradable biopolymers: ecovio and ecoflex BMB
- ZARA bodysuit: Ultramid BMB
Additionally, BASF replaces fossil resources with feedstock from the chemical recycling of plastic waste in a mass balance approach for its Ccycled portfolio:
- Kask safety helmet: Neopor Ccycled
- Oysho sports leggings: Ultramid Ccycled
Transformation is not only about materials, but also about data. As the industry moves toward greater transparency and accountability, digital tools become essential to enable and accelerate the green transformation. To support this, BASF offers the PACIFIC app that provides standardization and interoperability in PCF data exchanges of plastic materials. Designed for ease of use, the Pacific app is seeing growing adoption across stakeholders in the value chain.
