NPE ’24: BASF Corp CEO optimistic of agreement at next UN plastic treaty talks

ORLANDO (ICIS)–BASF Corp CEO Mike Heinz is optimistic that a binding agreement could be reached during the next round of negotiations of the UN plastic waste treaty, he said on Wednesday.

BASF had sent a team to the previous round that was held in Ottawa, he said. “The feedback that we received from them was cautiously optimistic.”

Heinz made his comments in an interview with ICIS at this year’s NPE: The Plastics Show. He also gave the keynote address at the trade show.

Another reason for optimism is that all of the parties are pursuing the same objective: to prevent plastic waste from entering the environment, Heinz said. An agreement would be one that all stakeholders could live with.

He acknowledged some disagreement about how to achieve that objective. Some want to curb production of plastic, he said.

BASF and others want to achieve it by curbing pollution.

Already, BASF and other chemical companies are incorporating recycled materials into their products.

Recycling can be part of a larger sustainable production chain, under which chemical complexes rely on renewable energy to make products from recycled and renewable materials that can be recovered and reused.

These materials can be used to make wind blades, electric vehicles (EVs) and other products critical to reducing emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Heinz summed up the path to a sustainable future as resting on three three pillars: make, use and recycle.

SUSTAINABILITY VERBUND
During his speech and in a subsequent interview with ICIS, Heinz described what could be characterized as a Verbund based on sustainability.

“This will take some time, but the good news is we already have some concrete examples on how it can be done,” Heinz said.

As an example, he held up a jacket made with 100% recycled nylon 6 from BASF that was sold by Inditex, the owner the clothing brand Zara.

Heinz pointed to BASF’s equity stakes in European wind packs. By 2030, BASF wants green energy to account for 60% of its power consumption.

For chemical companies, one of the most power-hungry processes is steam cracking. BASF, SABIC and Linde are developing an e-cracker that would rely on electric furnaces to generate the heat needed to produce ethylene. The electricity could come from renewable sources, which would significantly reduce the CO2 emissions of steam cracking.

Crackers can process renewable naphtha made from natural oils or pyrolysis oil produced at chemical recycling plants.

It will take time for these feedstocks to become abundant, but the model is possible, and BASF is making chemicals with such feedstocks.

New, renewable feedstocks can lead to new chemistries that result in materials that have better qualities than those based on petroleum.  The products can also help customers achieve their own sustainability goals. Lighter plastics can allow automobiles to travel farther on a tank of gasoline or on a battery charge. Other plastics will be critical to make EVs safe.

Products can be designed to last longer, he said. When they do reach the end of their lifecycles, they can be designed to be easier to recover and recycle.

STEPS NEEDED TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY
During his keynote speech, Heinz noted that while the chemical industry is part of the problem, it can be a bigger part of the solution.

Change will require passionate people, innovation and collaboration, he said. In particular, the chemical industry needs to collaborate with lawmakers and nongovernmental organizations (NGO) to come up with those solutions.

Produced by Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), NPE: The Plastics Show takes place 6-10 May in Orlando, Florida.

Interview article by Al Greenwood

Thumbnail shows a plastic bottle, which can be recycled. Image by monticello/imageBROKER/Shutterstock