Braskem

Grade summary

Braskem produces ten hazardous substances – none of which are included in the EU’s REACH Candidate List – and no persistent chemicals. However, since there is no available data for the 83 percent of the company’s production that…

Braskem produces/uses 10 highly hazardous substances – 10 SIN List chemicals, 1 PIC, and no HHPs – none of which are included on the EU’s REACH Candidate List. None of these highly hazardous substances are either banned or severely restricted, with set dates when production needs to cease (no Authorisation List substances, and no POPs). The company produces no persistent chemicals.

Please note that there is no available data for the 83 percent of the company’s production that takes place outside of the EU and US. Lower EU/US production means higher uncertainty with regard to the total production of hazardous chemicals, which will have a negative impact on the company’s score in this category.

Braskem has a method in place to screen and assess the sustainability of its products and includes the intrinsic hazards of ingredients in the screening process. It does not, however, exclude substances with toxic properties from its new products. Braskem actively markets safer alternatives both on its own website as well as on ChemSec Marketplace. The company has no true circular product, process or innovation. Braskem uses biobased resources, but at the expense of occupying extra land or competing with food production. It sources and treats recycled materials in a sustainable way, which is one of the key elements of a circular economy. Braskem is not actively reducing the hazardous waste it generates.

The Brazilian company does not produce only sustainable products. Nor does it have a phase-out strategy for hazardous substances that go beyond regulatory compliance. It shares chemical safety information on its website and is following a credible code of conduct standard. Braskem responded to ChemSec’s attempts to communicate around its ChemScore ranking. However, the company does not share any information about what kind of chemicals it produces in regions with low regulatory demands for transparency (e.g. Asia). Braskem has a circular economy program in place, with objective and measurable targets.