BASF Accelerates Sustainable Shift with Bio Based Plastics in 2025
In 2025, BASF has significantly increased its emphasis on bio-based plastics, aligning its Performance Materials division strategy with the emerging regulatory and market pressures within the bio-based plastics market. This transition aligns with the broader industry trends that advocate for sustainable supply chains, circularity, and reduced carbon footprints.
In early 2025, BASF achieved a significant milestone by transitioning all its European Performance Materials production sites to 100 percent renewable electricity, encompassing engineering polymers and thermoplastic polyurethanes. This action supports the sustained market adoption of lower-carbon alternatives in the bio-based plastics sector by 2025.
Among the significant product innovations of 2025, BASF introduced HySorb® B 6610 ZeroPCF, the first superabsorbent polymer to be marketed with a zero product carbon footprint (PCF). Biomass-balance production methods and renewable energy are combined to achieve complete carbon neutrality, with a focus on the hygiene industry.
In March 2025, BASF introduced Ultrason® E 2010 BMB, the world's first biomass-balanced polyethersulfone (PESU). While utilizing waste-based renewable materials as feedstock, this thermoplastic of exceptional performance preserves full functional parity with conventional PESU.
BASF will exhibit an expanding portfolio of rPCF ("reduced PCF") products at K 2025, which is scheduled for October. These products further reduce carbon footprints by integrating biomass-balance methods, renewable electricity, and renewable steam in the production process.
These developments in 2025 indicate that robust market drivers are influencing the bio-based plastics market. The transformation is being expedited by regulatory trends toward carbon transparency, consumer demand for sustainable drop-in solutions, and investments in renewable infrastructure. BASF's strategic investments, such as the PACIFIC app for standardized PCF data exchange and ISCC PLUS certifications, underscore its role in facilitating the industry-wide adoption of bio-based plastics in 2025.
