Braskem launches first EVA grades with recycled raw material for footwear and sporting goods markets in Brazil

To increasingly develop innovative and sustainable solutions that promote the circular economy across industry, Braskem has launched this month two new EVA solutions produced from recycled raw material. The new compounds are part of the Wenew portfolio, Braskem's circularity ecosystem, and are the first products of this type to be launched by the Company in the market, consolidating its pioneering role in the sector.

The two new grades offer benefits to the footwear and sporting goods sectors by bringing new and more sustainable options to the industry. These are produced from surplus scraps from the footwear industry, which enables this solid waste to be used adequately to create new products. Moreover, these two solutions give finished products greater mechanical resistance during physical efforts, which translates to quality, innovation and sustainability.

One of the grades can be applied to sheets making up the tatami mats used in gyms, insoles of sneakers and yoga mats, while the other is injected into the midsole and outsole of shoes. The latter is produced from recycled raw material and contains 30% renewable resin obtained from sugarcane (renewable-origin EVA), which, depending on the final composition of the product, could contribute to a carbon-neutral solution or with near-zero emissions.

For Fabiana Quiroga, Executive Officer - Circular Economy at Braskem in South America, the launch of new grades is aligned with the Company's commitments to sustainability. "By 2030, Braskem's goal is to include 1 million tons of thermoplastic resins and chemical products with recycled content in its product portfolio, and to prevent 1.5 million tons of plastic waste from being sent to incineration or landfills or from being discarded in the environment", she said. "The new solutions will also contribute to the ESG journey of our partners as they offer clients, manufacturers and brand owners the opportunity for more sustainable development, resulting in less carbon emissions compared to resins of fossil origin".

Correctly addressing industrial waste from the footwear and sporting goods sectors to create high performance solutions in the market was a challenging mission. Juliani Capra da Silva, Application Engineer at Braskem, highlights the company's contribution to sustainability in these sectors based on these new solutions. "Braskem has been working hard to drive all the links across the chain towards the circular economy. All these efforts and Braskem's pioneering spirit enabled us to develop the first recycled EVA grades in Brazil", she said. "What we are doing differently and innovatively is that we were are collecting the surplus EVA waste discarded by companies and transforming it into raw material for manufacturing new products, especially footwear, with less CO₂ emissions, while dealing with the challenge of sending to the right place waste that is difficult to allocate".

 Note that both grades have the same technical properties as fossil-origin products, but with the positive attribute of reintegrating plastic waste into the production chain, thus preventing it from reaching nature.