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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.

 

Benefits

ecoflex® is:

  • the ideal blend component for bioplastics
  • certified compostable and biodegradable
  • elastic as well as water and tear resistant
  • processable on conventional blown film machines for polyethylene
  • printable and weldable
  • suitable for food contact
Hands holding ecoflex® granulate

BASF celebrates 25th birthday of ecoflex®, the world’s first PBAT biopolymer

Visual ecoflex 25 Years

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.

Marcel Philipp Barth

Head of global business management Biopolymers at BASF

The certified compostability of the bioplastic ecoflex®

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:

ecoflex® standards
ecoflex® tested quality

High quality: ecologically tested and toxicologically safe

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 the optimal compound partner

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.

ecoflex® chart

An industry-first: biomass-balanced ecoflex® BMB

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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More information
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The PBAT ecoflex®: a fundamental breakthrough for plastics

Making fully biodegradable plastics a reality with ecoflex and ecovio

The biopolymer ecoflex® revolutionized the plastics market

Download data sheets for selected ecoflex® grades here!

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

For products that enable organic recycling: ecoflex® is just the beginning!

ecovio®: biopolymer for many applications

ecoflex® is the major ingredient of ecovio®, BASF’s certified compostable and partly bio-based compound. Further information on ecovio® can be found here: 

www.ecovio.basf.com

How certified compostable biopolymers contribute to a circular economy

ecoflex® and ecovio® are the certified compostable bioplastics of BASF which support the collection of organic waste and thus contribute to a circular economy. 

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How ecovio® contributes to closing the nutrient cycle towards a Circular Economy With the certified compostable plastic ecovio®, BASF has developed a material portfolio for a variety of applications which can be used throughout the entire food cycle and thus support Circular Economy – from  production via packaging and transport to the waste collection of food. 	  Photo: BASF 2019

Featured news

The home-compostable paper laminate consists of three basic components: BillerudKorsnäs‘ paper ConFlex® Silk, a sealing layer made of BASF’s certified home compostable and partly bio-based biopolymer ecovio® and BASF’s water-based adhesive Epotal® Eco 3675 X which joins the film to the paper. Photo: BASF 2020
BASF and BillerudKorsnäs cooperate to develop unique home-compostable paper laminate for flexible packaging
The BASF biopolymer ecoflex® was introduced into the market in 1998 and is certified compostable in accordance with DIN EN 13432 and ASTM D6400. It is used as a blend with other renewable raw materials to compound ecovio®, BASF’s certified compostable biopolymer. Photo: BASF 2020
BASF and Red Avenue New Materials Group collaborate to produce certified compostable co-polyester (PBAT) in China
BASF and Fabbri Group have developed a sustainable solution for cling film used in fresh-food packaging: Based on BASF’s certified compostable ecovio®, Fabbri Group produces the highly transparent stretch film Nature Fresh. Meat, seafood as well as fruit and vegetables can be wrapped manually or with automatic packaging equipment. It is the first certified compostable cling film that combines optimal breathability for an extended shelf life of fresh food with high transparency and excellent mechanical properties for automatic packaging. Nature Fresh is food-contact approved according to US and European standards.
BASF and Fabbri Group develop certified compostable cling film for fresh-food packaging

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