Plastic is a versatile material that helps us keep our food fresh, our houses warm and makes driving safe, thus, contributing to a sustainable future. However, it needs to be used and managed in an environmentally responsible way. BASF is developing innovative solutions that address the global challenge of proper dis- posal and recycling of plastics. In 2019, BASF launched an optimization project in Shanghai to minimize product packaging waste at all eight production plants at its Pudong site. Key changes include replacing wood pallets with durable polyurethane (PU) pallets, using ISO tanks for bulk products, and developing recyclable foldable intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) to replace plastic ones. Packaging accounts for 2% of all production costs. This project has helped reduce large amount of packaging materials and generated significant economic savings, enabling BASF to provide value-added service to customers. In the long run, BASF plans to build an eco-system of recycling packaging materials together with customers, suppliers, and partners. BASF believes that each small change makes a big difference on the road to carbon neutrality.

Source: More Than A Market Booklet 2021