Green materials: Braskem launches bioPP for food industry; Covestro/Beyond Leather Materials develop 85% bio-based leather from apple waste/PU dispersions

Brazilian polyolefins maker Braskem has launched its bio-circular polypropylene (PP), which it sells under the brand name Wenew, targeted at the restaurant and snack food industries. Derived from used cooking oil (UCO), this certified bio-circular ISCC Plus mass-balanced product represents a significant step towards a more sustainable economy, helping to displace fossil fuels, it adds,

Braskem’s bio-circular PP is designed to promote circularity in the food industry by repurposing UCO. This approach not only reduces the reliance on fossil fuels but also supports environmental sustainability. Bio-circular PP is identical to traditional PP in properties and performance, ensuring a seamless transition for our clients.

Bill Diebold, Vice President, Braskem America Polyolefins, stated, “Our bio-circular PP is currently being supplied to various converters which support the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry. Ideal users include QSR chains, retail food suppliers, traditional restaurants, and snack food companies especially those seeking to enhance circularity from their cooking oil usage. This versatile material is suitable for a wide range of applications, including food packaging, flexible packaging (such as films), and consumer goods.”

Bio-circular PP addresses critical environmental concerns by displacing fossil-based sources of propylene and promoting circularity. UCO is collected and repurposed upstream to produce certified bio-circular ISCC Plus propylene.

Braskem adds it has partnered with several suppliers in the value chain who, through their production facilities, convert bio-circular feedstock into polypropylene, creating a sustainable loop. As a mass-balanced product, the bio-circular PP retains the same properties and performance as traditional PP, allowing continuous integration into existing downstream converter production and end-of-life recycling processes.

“The launch of our bio-circular PP marks a pivotal moment in pursuing sustainability within the restaurant and snack food industries. By adopting this innovative solution, companies can play a crucial role in promoting circularity and reducing their environmental impact. Join us in embracing a greener future with bio-circular polypropylene,” commented Courtney Keller, Sustainability Commercial Manager, Braskem America.

In other news, Danish company ‘Beyond Leather Materials’ collaborated with German materials manufacturer Covestro to develop a protective coating based on INSQIN technology for Beyond Leather Materials’ Leap leather alternative made using apple waste generated in juice and cider manufacturing.

The jointly developed coating uses INSQIN technology based on polyurethane dispersions made with partially bio-based content.

Beyond Leather’s approach captures the value of apple waste – of which around 4 million tonnes is produced every year – by upcycling it into a more sustainable alternative to conventional leather made with animal skin. With a high content of short fibres and polymers, apple waste (including cores, seeds, and stems) can be activated to give a strength and suppleness to the final material, recreating the functional and aesthetic properties that make leather so desirable.

To produce Leap, the apple-waste blend is applied to a Tencel textile backing and finished with the protective coating containing INSQIN PU.

“With around 25% of an apple discarded after pressing, we wanted to capture this waste’s value in premium applications. We believe that looking into waste streams and using upcycling is crucial to reduce emissions. It is our mission to show how much value there is in waste and, ultimately, make waste beautiful,” says Mikael Eydt, Co-Founder/CEO, Beyond Leather Materials.

Dr. Torsten Pohl, Head of Global Textile Coatings Covestro, added, “Our low-VOC, low-emission, waterborne, and partly-bio-based INSQIN coating technology is the perfect fit for Leap, enabling the premium durability, flexibility and perceptual quality needed in today’s market while offering a more sustainable solution for partners like Beyond Leather. We look forward to continuing our collaboration in applications spanning everything from small goods typically made of leather such as wallets, purses, and key cases, to automotive interiors.”

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