Performance Polymers
ecoflex® (PBAT): The original since 1998 – certified compostable biopolymer
ecoflex® is the first biodegradable and certified compostable plastic by BASF on a fossil basis. The biopolymer is on the market for more than two decades. It supports a circular economy by enabling products that are certified compostable and thus advances organic recycling.
• Since 1998, ecoflex® is the first commercially available biodegradable and certified compostable biopolymer on the market
• Biopolymer innovations based on ecoflex® have helped to solve many challenges in the plastics market
• ecoflex® has opened up new end-of-life options for plastics enabling organics recycling and thus contributing to a circular economy
ecoflex® was introduced on the plastics market in 1998 and is the world’s first biodegradable and certified compostable polymer. Since that time customers have come to know and trust ecoflex® for its consistently high quality and performance. BASF has continued to invest in ecoflex® and developed a biopolymers portfolio which is unsurpassed in the industry. ecoflex® comes in a wide range of grades. All BASF PBAT grades are certified industrial compostable under the most demanding global standards including EN 13432, AS4736 and ASTM 6400. In addition, ecoflex® can also be biodegraded by microorganisms under home composting conditions as well as in agricultural soil (EN 17033).
The BASF co-polyester is one of a few certified compostable polymers complying with the requirements of the European food contact regulation and the US Food Contact Substance Notification of FDA. Ecoflex® is the base polymer for BASF’s certified compostable compound ecovio®. With compounding capacities in all regions BASF can thus offer first-class material performance and tailored services to support the global film, packaging and agricultural markets.
We are proud to be the pioneer in the biopolymer market thinking about circular economy solutions when the term was not yet in everybody’s mouth. Since its launch 25 years ago, ecoflex® has delivered high quality and consistent performance to our customers and enabled many compostable applications that are on the market today. We are looking forward to continue shaping this industry and supporting our valued customers and partners around the globe. As the trusted partner of major brands, based on ecoflex® we develop innovative packaging solutions that meet new market requirements. For example, in 2023 we launched new ecovio® grades that extend the end-of-life options for paper-based packaging by being certified home as well as industrially compostable.
Thanks to its special chemical structure, ecoflex® can be biodegraded by microorganisms and their corresponding enzymes. Under the circumstances in an industrial composting plant, the ecoflex® molecules are biodegraded within a few weeks. In special certification procedures, independent institutes test the suitability of bioplastics in terms of biodegradability, compostability, compost quality, and plant compatibility.
ecoflex® offers various product grades that meet international and national standards for industrial composting:
Scientifically recognized tests (e.g. plant growth test, Daphnia test, toxicological tests according to OECD directives) have proven in practice that ecoflex® has no negative consequences for nature or the environment. Furthermore, ecoflex® is in its composition one of the few compostable polymers complying with the requirements of the European food contact regulation (Commission Regulation No. 10/2011 of January 14, 2011) as well as the requirements of the US Food Contact Substance Notification No. 907 of FDA.
ecoflex® is an ideal blend component for the production of plastics from renewable raw materials like polylactic acid (PLA), making many applications actually possible in the first place. Thus, ecoflex® provides the bio-based and certified compostable BASF biopolymer ecovio® with special material properties such as flexibility and toughness.
Next to PLA, other compound partners such as starch can be used to achieve a specific profile for the application. A high ecoflex® content is particularly suited for the production of flexible film products for packaging. Mechanical characteristics such as stiffness or puncture resistance can be varied and specifically adjusted.
BASF is now offering the packaging industry a way to increase the use of renewable feedstocks: It is expanding its portfolio of certified compostable biopolymers to include a biomass-balanced (BMB) ecoflex®. For the new ecoflex® F Blend C1200 BMB, the fossil raw materials that are usually used in the production process are replaced with renewable feedstock at the beginning of the value chain. The renewable feedstock comes from waste and residual biomass and is attributed to the ecoflex® grade via a mass balance approach which is certified according to REDcert2 and ISCC PLUS. The biomass-balanced ecoflex® not only contributes to reducing the use of fossil resources, but it also offers a 60% lower Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) than the standard ecoflex® F Blend C1200.
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The biopolymer ecoflex® revolutionized the plastics market
| Grade | Product Data Sheet | Safety Data Sheet |
| ecoflex® Batch AB 1 | Click here | Click here |
| ecoflex® Batch Black | Click here | Click here |
| ecoflex® Batch SL05 | Click here | Click here |
| ecoflex® F Blend C1200 | Click here | Click here |
ecoflex® is the major ingredient of ecovio®, BASF’s certified compostable and partly bio-based compound. Further information on ecovio® can be found here:
ecoflex® and ecovio® are the certified compostable bioplastics of BASF which support the collection of organic waste and thus contribute to a circular economy.
