FkuR now Braskem’s exclusive European distributor of GreenPE

Braskem and bioplastics specialist FKuR announced that they have signed a distribution agreement for for the Brazilian petrochemical company's Green PE, with immediate effect making FKuR the official distribution partner for the bioplastic in Europe.

"This new business field is another milestone that helps make our "FKuR - plastics made by nature" strategy a reality. As a leading player in the European bioplastics market, we are happy to be part of Braskem's innovative campaign for changing resource utilization," said Dr. Edmund Dolfen, FKuR's CEO.

"Our 'Green PE' has the same technical properties as regular PE made from crude oil, but it is a unique and groundbreaking product made from natural resources. For Braskem, it was important to find a partner who has extensive knowledge in promoting bioplastic specialties in a commodity market," declared Fabio Carneiro, Renewable Chemicals Commercial Officer at Braskem.

With its European sales force, FKuR will be an additional technology and technical contact support, development advisor and logistic partner for Europe. Furthermore, tailor-made compounds made from Braskem's Green PE will be available under FKuR's brand name TerraleneTM.

In September 2010, Braskem became the world's first producer of LLDPE and HDPE from renewable resources. The ethanol used to make Green PE is made from sugarcane produced in Brazil. The renewable resource ratio per product can reach up to 100%, depending on the application. As a result of Braskem's technology and raw material source, each ton of green polyethylene produced captures up to 2.5 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere, helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Another advantage is that Green PE is 100% recyclable using existing processes. In addition, because Green PE is not biodegradable, the CO2 captured during the sugarcane cultivation process remains sequestered for the plastic's entire life cycle. Finally, Braskem's Green PE has the same technical properties and processability as fossil-based polyethylenes. This means that Green PE processing does not require any new investments in equipment or technical adjustments, which represents a distinct advantage for the manufacturing industry.