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 the rest takes place outside the EU and US. The company has a method in place to screen and assess the sustainability of its products and includes intrinsic hazards of ingredients in the screening process. It does not, however, have a phase-out strategy for hazardous substances. The company follows several voluntary standards of good conduct, but has nonetheless been involved in several scandals over the last ten years, including what is said to be the largest foreign bribery case in history.

Opportunities for improvement

1. Add transparency to the hazardous product portfolio. We can only rank less than one fifth of Braskem’s overall production since the rest takes place outside the EU and US. For other regions there are no reliable and publicly available sources for identifying producers of hazardous chemicals. Informing ChemSec of hazardous chemical production outside the EU and US could help raise the company’s score.
2. Develop more safer alternatives. Braskem calls itself the world’s leading biopolymer producer and puts a lot of effort into the innovation of bio-based materials. The company’s “I’m Green” portfolio and its assessment of the environmental impacts of production are a good start.
3. Since accidents have been a common occurrence, the Brazilian company should improve safety processes and train employees in order to reduce environmental incidents.

Category breakdown