I'm green™

I'm green™ polyethylene is a combination of innovation, technology and sustainability.

Braskem was created in August 2002 by the integration of six companies from  Odebrecht Group  and the Mariani Group. Braskem is currently the largest producer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas and the largest producer of polypropylene in the United States. Its production focuses on polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polyvinylchloride (PVC) resins, in addition to basic chemical inputs such as ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, toluene, chlorine, soda, and solvents, among others. Together, they make up one of the most comprehensive portfolios in the industry by also including the green polyethylene produced from the sugarcane, from 100% renewable sources.

Braskem's green ethylene plant was inaugurated in September 2010. The plant is the largest industrial-scale operation in the world producing ethylene made from 100% renewable raw materials, i.e., sugar-cane. The project was conceived and installed in less than two years based on Braskem’s proprietary technology.

I'm green™ PE is a plastic produced 100% from sugarcane ethanol, a renewable raw material, while traditional polyethylenes use raw materials from fossil sources such as oil or natural gas. I'm green™ captures and fixes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during its production, helping to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.

I’m green™ EVA was Launched in 2018 through a partnership with U.S.-based footwear manufacturer Allbirds, the first to use the product, the ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer is made from a renewable resource, sugarcane, and is available for applications in the footwear, automotive, transportation and other industries.

It maintains the same properties, performance and versatility of applications of polyethylenes of fossil origin - which facilitates their immediate use in the plastic production chain. For this same reason, it is also recyclable within the same recycling chain of traditional polyethylene.

Currently, Braskem supplies I'm green™ renewable source polyethylene to several partners in Brazil and worldwide, operating in the most varied segments of the industry.

In 2017, Braskem started a collaboration with Haldor Topsoe - the world leader in catalysts and technology for the chemical and refining industries. They are now commissioning a pioneering demonstration unit for the development of monoethylene glycol (MEG) from sugar.
Located in Lyngby, Denmark, the pilot plant's operation marks a decisive step in confirming the technical and economic feasibility of producing renewable MEG on an industrial scale. The cooperation agreement focuses on developing a new technology for converting sugar into MEG at a single industrial unit, which reduces the initial investment in production and consequently makes the process more competitive. MEG is used to make PET, a resin that is widely used in the textile and packaging industries, especially for making bottles. The global market for MEG currently is at around US$25 billion.