Braskem's sugarcane-derived I'm green™ polyethylene portfolio is moving into automotive packaging applications, positioning the biopolymer producer to address mounting regulatory pressure on fossil-based plastics in European and North American supply chains.
Braskem, the largest polyolefins producer in the Americas and a global leader in industrial-scale biopolymer production, confirmed this month it will present packaging solutions made from bio-based, recycled, and traditional polyolefins at interpack 2026 in Düsseldorf.1I'm green bio-based The event, scheduled for late April 2026, follows a series of product disclosures at K 2025 in October, where the company unveiled a next generation of circular packaging resins targeting several industrial sectors, including automotive.
Background
Braskem's commercial push coincides with a tightening regulatory environment for plastic packaging in the EU. The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation 2025/40 (PPWR) entered into force on 11 February 2025 and will generally apply from 12 August 2026. Under the regulation, plastic packaging must incorporate recycled content, with increasing targets set for 2030 and 2040. For automotive OEMs and tiered suppliers shipping parts across Europe, the PPWR applies to transport and tertiary packaging, creating compliance obligations that extend into inbound and outbound logistics.
Compliance with the PPWR ranks among the top packaging-related concerns in the automotive supply chain. Packaging engineers at major OEMs have noted that procurement and sustainability teams must now align on material decisions earlier in the vehicle development cycle to avoid costly redesigns closer to launch.
The automotive packaging market is projected to rise from USD 9.58 billion in 2025 to USD 16.21 billion by 2035, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 5.4%. Stringent environmental regulations in North America and Europe are driving automakers to adopt eco-friendly packaging across their supply chains, according to industry analysts.
Details
Braskem's I'm green™ resins are derived from sugarcane ethanol and marketed as drop-in substitutes for conventional fossil-based polyethylene. The resins retain the same properties, performance, and application versatility as their fossil-derived equivalents. That characteristic matters for automotive Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, whose packaging specifications typically lock in material performance parameters that cannot be altered without triggering validation processes across OEM quality systems.
Substituting conventional polyethylene with I'm green™ polyethylene does not require investment in new plastics manufacturing machinery, according to Braskem. This processing compatibility lowers the capital barrier to adoption for packaging converters serving the automotive sector.
On the carbon performance side, updated Life Cycle Assessments conducted in accordance with ISO 14040/44 and ISO 14071 standards show that all I'm green™ bio-based products carry a negative carbon footprint. For HDPE specifically, the LCA indicates a carbon footprint reduction of approximately 5 kg CO₂e per kg compared to fossil-based alternatives.
Braskem currently operates with a production capacity of 275,000 tons per year of I'm green™ bio-based polyethylene-a 37% increase from its initial project in 2010. This expansion enables the capture of approximately 159,000 tons of CO₂ per year, equivalent to the annual emissions of 12,000 U.S. citizens.
Braskem's recycled-content portfolio is also scaling. The company's Wenew portfolio, which includes more than 55 product types with recycled content, has surpassed 85,000 tons in sales, according to Plastics News. Braskem views mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, and bio-based and bio-attributed materials as complementary pathways, each addressing different application constraints in automotive packaging.
The competitive pricing environment for fossil-based resins remains a challenge. According to Braskem's Asia business director and global commercial director of biopolymers Roger Marchioni, traditional fossil-based resins are "maybe the cheapest they've ever been." That cost differential places pressure on sustainability leads at OEMs seeking to justify the bio-based premium through carbon accounting, supplier scorecards, or anticipated regulatory fee structures under extended producer responsibility programs.
Outlook
By 12 February 2028, the European Commission is required to review the state of technological development and environmental performance of bio-based plastic packaging. Based on this review, the EC could propose legislation allowing bio-based feedstock to count toward recycled content targets under the PPWR-a development that could materially alter the commercial calculus for Braskem's automotive packaging customers. With its recently expanded green ethylene unit, Braskem says it is positioned to meet growing global demand for biopolymers and support the industry's transition to a low-carbon circular economy. For automotive supply chain and packaging engineers, the window to qualify alternative materials ahead of the August 2026 PPWR application date is narrowing.
