Henkel and BASF have signed an agreement under which a portion of the fossil-based feedstock Henkel uses in its Laundry & Home Care and Beauty Care businesses will be replaced by renewably-sourced feedstock using the certified biomass balance approach developed by BASF.
When BASF introduced its first mass balanced polyamide in 2014, it was a revelation. Now, eight years later, the company not only has a portfolio of chemically recycled products created via the mass balance approach, but it has also developed similar technology for biomass-based feedstock. Here, fossil feedstock is replaced by renewable resources in the very first steps of chemical production. The bio-based feedstock amount is then attributed to specific products by means of the certified method.
One early mover in this space is the German chemical and consumer goods company, Henkel. The company has committed to integrating BASF’s biomass balance approach into its supply chain and will now be collaborating with BASF on the replacement of fossil carbon feedstock with renewable feedstock over the next four years for most products in Henkel’s European Laundry & Home Care and Beauty Care businesses. The collaboration will see the fossil feedstock required for around 110,000 tons of ingredients per year being substituted by renewable feedstock using BASF’s certified biomass balance approach.
The announcement follows a pilot with Henkel’s cleaning and detergent brand Love Nature in 2021 that was hailed as a success. As a result of this new commitment Henkel’s core brands like Persil, Pril, Fa and Schauma will come with a reduced carbon footprint, cutting a total of around 200,000 tons of CO2 emissions.
“We intend to continuously enhance our processes, products and use of raw materials for a resource-efficient, carbon-neutral future,” said Carsten Knobel, CEO of Henkel.
BASF has established a closed chain of custody from the renewable feedstock it uses through to the final product. TÜV Nord, an independent certification body, supports the practical implementation and confirms according to the REDCert2 certification scheme that BASF replaces the required quantities of fossil resources for the biomass balanced product with renewable feedstock.
“We are also proud to support such an innovative brand owner that is a first mover in offering end-consumers more sustainable solutions on such a large scale. The project underlines the commitment of both companies to creating a sustainable future,” said Martin Brudermüller, chairman of the board of executive directors of BASF.