BASF has announced the expansion of its EcoBalanced portfolio for Care Chemicals in North America with the introduction of the first EcoBalanced products for personal care in the region. BASF’s cocoamidopropyl betaine products Dehyton® PK 45 and Dehyton® KE UP are now certified as EcoBalanced grades using a biomass balance (BMB) approach.
Betaines are widely used as secondary surfactants in various personal and home care products, such as rinse-off products and toothpaste. They enhance foam production, increase viscosity, and reduce skin irritation, making them valuable ingredients in formulations that contribute to improved cleansing and enhanced sensorial experiences for consumers.
These EcoBalanced products support the replacement of fossil resources with renewable raw materials through a certified mass balance approach. At the beginning of the value chain, fossil-based raw materials are substituted with the corresponding amount of certified renewable resources and attributed to the product.
By utilising a BMB approach, the cradle-to-gate product carbon footprint (PCF) of these betaine products is significantly reduced in comparison to the conventional product. The certification scheme REDcert confirms the proper replacement of fossil raw materials and the correct attribution. The EcoBalanced grades of these products will be available starting in Q1 2025.
BASF’s production site in Mauldin, South Carolina, will become the second Care Chemicals site in the United States to be certified for biomass balance. BASF’s production site in Geismar, Louisiana, received certification in 2023 for BASF’s home care polymer Sokalan® HP 20.
100 percent renewable electricity at six standalone Care Chemicals sites in the United States in 2024
BASF now powers six of its Care Chemicals sites across the United States with 100 percent renewable electricity. As of 2024, the sites in Cincinnati, Ohio; Mauldin, South Carolina; White Stone (Spartanburg), South Carolina; Theodore, Alabama; Washington, New Jersey; and East Setauket, New York, will be powered entirely by renewable energy. This energy comes from solar and wind sources, primarily through renewable energy credits (RECs) generated by BASF’s virtual power purchase agreements (vPPAs). According to the EPA Calculator, the use of renewable electricity will save 33,000 tons of CO2 annually, equivalent to the annual power needs of around 4,500 U.S. homes.
Procurement of renewable electricity is a crucial step in reducing BASF’s Scope 2 emissions, supporting the company’s short-term goal of a 25 percent reduction by 2030 compared with 2018 and the long-term target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.