Braskem

Headquartered in São Paulo, Braskem is the largest petrochemicals company in Latin America. It is a very large producer of thermoplastic resins with several plants across the Americas. The company produces ethylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, xylenes, butadiene, butene, isoprene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and more.

Total score

12 / 48

Grade summary

Braskem produces seven SIN List substances, but none of them are officially recognised as chemicals of high concern by the EU. However, data is only available for less than one fifth of the Latin American giant’s production, as…

Product Portfolio

2 / 18

Braskem produces seven SIN List substances, but none of them are found on the REACH Candidate List or the REACH Authorisation List. The company does not produce any persistent chemicals. However, data is available for less than one fifth of the Brazilian company’s production, as the rest takes place outside the EU and US.

Development of Safer Chemicals

5 / 12

Braskem has a method in place to screen and assess the sustainability of its products and includes intrinsic hazards of ingredients in the screening process. The company does not follow the principles of green chemistry or use the GreenScreen assessment tool, nor does it exclude substances with toxic properties from new products. It does, however, actively market safer alternatives on its website.

Management & Transparency

5 / 12

The Brazilian company shares chemical safety information on its website but does not have a phase-out strategy for hazardous substances. Braskem is a member of Responsible Care and follows voluntary standards such as a Code of Conduct and a Supplier Code of Conduct.