Innovating for Sustainability

Ah, the great outdoors! Chances are if you head outside for fun and adventure on the water, you’re relying on sunscreen to protect your skin and our plastic additives to protect your kayak from those same harmful UV rays.

Turns out, those uber-cool sports shoes are so out-of-this-world, they actually have a hard time surviving Earth’s atmosphere. The polyurethane-injected foam soles crack and discolor through oxidation and require protection, which our light stabilizers happily provide. 

Growing roses is becoming a lot more environmentally-friendly, thanks to a greenhouse plastic film that’s protected by BASF’s light stabilizer. 

Concerned about the effects of pollution and UV light on your hair? Worry no more! Protect your hair and scalp with this innovative anti-pollution hair care system just introduced by BASF.

Malnutrition is a silent menace: it stunts children’s growth, makes them vulnerable to disease and can even cause blindness. BASF and its partners in Pakistan are working to fight malnutrition, with food fortification programs designed specifically to bolster child health.

What’s the most sustainable way to protect a strawberry crop? According to the Yewers, who run Berry Sweet in Western Australia, the answer is biologicals from BASF.   

When you’re running a busy airport, the last thing you want is a leaky roof.  BASF and Wonpoong Corporation teamed up to create roofing membranes which would withstand extreme weather conditions without disrupting Incheon’s schedule. 

Climate change is a threat to how we live – unless we can make smart changes first. That’s where BASF climate innovations come in. 

What is the best nutrition for you - not someone of your age or physique, but you? The answer lies in personalized nutrition: a set of recommendations based on your unique biomarkers to keep you at your healthiest.

When storms and droughts hit, people dash inside. Plants cannot. That leaves grazing animals, and the farmers that tend to them, in a bind. Thanks to a collaboration among the Australian Inoculant Research Group, Seednet and BASF, Tedera - a legume native to the Canary Islands – can now support herds on the hot, dry plains of Western Australia. 

India’s vibrant cities are often shrouded in smog. What’s the shortest route between today’s situation and a cleaner, brighter tomorrow?  A coordinated approach of stricter vehicle emissions standards and innovative technology – powered in part by BASF. 

Many people would look askance at having a chemical production facility set up in their neighborhood. BASF’s tradition of establishing Community Advisory Panels (CAPs) has helped local stakeholders learn about, engage with and grow to trust the world’s leading chemical company.

Ironically, the world’s poorest people often pay the most for essential drinking water. A coalition convened by BASF set out to change that, in one neighborhood of Navi Mumbai. The result was Water ATMs: advanced ultrafiltration technology powering a social business model that is making safe water available to local residents. 

The goal of Indian Prime Minister Modi’s “Make In India” initiative is to prompt organic growth and sustainable economic development. The goal of BASF’s new carbon-neutral growth initiative is to offer more innovations, without creating carbon pollution. The marriage of the two: a partnership between BASF and Adani to create a completely carbon neutral chemical production site in Mundra Port. Gujarat.

We all want lower-emission cars. But did you know that the car manufacturing process is becoming more environmentally friendly too? BASF has been working to put "green" into cars of every kind and color. 

Firefighters hope they never have to become heroes – but train as if they do. This type of training and professionalism is on display at BASF, which hosts Shanghai’s first fire brigade established by an international company. 

The fight against plastic waste can only be won if we work together. That’s why BASF is proud to be a co-founder of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. BASF is committed to helping the Alliance minimize and manage plastic waste to make a lasting, positive impact on the environment, marine life and communities around the world.

Taiwanese organic beauty care company o’right was looking for the right ingredients to make a rich but gentle shampoo. Not wanting to compromise on either quality or its commitment to all-natural products, it turned to the largest supplier of Cosmetic Organic Materials – BASF. 

This exciting BASF project is finding ways to recycle waste plastics that traditional mechanical recycling can’t manage. ChemCycling can transform even complex and contaminated plastics, and produce a wide variety of products from insulation panels to food-grade packaging. It’s hot work, but the benefits are clear!

What is the most responsible way to handle hazardous waste? BASF experts in Nanjing, China built a system to convert waste from a chemical production process into energy, while drastically reducing the emissions to the air. The result? A more efficient process and a cleaner, safer neighborhood.

Cleaning environmental sanitation (waste disposal) sites in Du’an Yao Autonomous County, in Guangxi Province, China was a dirty job – until recently. Sanitation teams had only water to clean the site, which spread but did not neutralize potentially harmful bacteria. A BASF manager had an idea: why not create bespoke cleaning products and training in hygienic cleaning methods? The program is underway and the benefits are threefold: better hygiene, a healthier environment, and enhanced career prospects for the teams.

How do you make paint more sustainable? Replace fossil fuel-based components with renewable raw materials. Nippon Paint’s Infinte Air is the first interior paint in China to use BASF’s dispersions produced according to biomass balance approach. Certified sustainable plant oils or waste wood are transformed into high-performance dispersions. This innovative approach helps save fossil resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The result: cleaner indoor air and a low carbon footprint.   

With clever design and intelligent construction, it is possible to build homes that satisfy the needs of modern living without compromising energy efficiency.  BASF’s work on Passive House buildings in China is proof positive that we can cut back on heating and cooling without compromising on comfort - even in skyscrapers.

The world is getting warmer. While countries around the world have pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow global warming, more must be done. The Tomakomai CCS Demonstration Project in Hokkaido, Japan – the first carbon capture and storage plant near an urban area – selected BASF gas treatment technology to capture and secure carbon dioxide. It’s on its way to capturing a million tons of carbon dioxide – and is capturing minds and imaginations in the process.

A new system for BASF forklift drivers has reduced safety incidents by 21%. The underlying technology has brought a host of other benefits too including savings in cost and time.  

How do you make electric vehicles more environmentally friendly? BASF’s global collaboration with EV manufacturer NIO developed innovative water-based coatings that help drive the environmental performance of EVs -- helping drive pollution out of our cities.  

Sometimes out-of-the-box thinking means redesigning the box. That was the case when BASF completed Its first bespoke modular production facility worldwide - a new anti-oxidants plant In Shanghai. Here's how It worked

Every worker deserves a safe working environment. When a garment factory in Bangladesh needed urgent reinforcement, BASF teams from three countries worked together to help ensure the building -- and the people working there -- were properly secure. And they accomplished it without disrupting the 5,500 people who worked there. 

The Chinese Government has shut down an estimated 80,000 factories for environmental regulations. Chemical company BASF noticed that none of their direct suppliers were affected, and believe they know why: the rigorous sustainability standards that BASF and its suppliers commit to, together.  

A BASF partnership has helped make the world’s first sustainable coconut oil. The program trains smallholder coconut farmers in the Philippines and Indonesia in more efficient farming practices and how to work towards the new Rainforest Alliance certification. The extra income farmers earn after completing the program helps put better food and education within reach.

The world’s longest sea crossing, linking Hong Kong, Macau, and the Chinese city of Zhuhai, is designed to look like three Chinese dragons. It’s also designed to last more than 120 years – thanks in part to invisible innovations from BASF.  

Behind every achievement is a determined strategy – which includes getting a lot of details right. That was one of the lessons shared by the BASF South East Asia team, which won the top energy management award in Singapore in October.  

Farmers have a vital role to help feed India’s growing population. Through crop protection training programs and kits BASF is helping to make sure India’s farmers and their families and communities stay protected, while they work to grow the nation’s food supply.

BASF scientists worked with NASA and the German space agency develop new tools that map UV radiation around the globe. The tools help make greenhouse film and other plastic stronger and longer lasting, according to local conditions. Protection from UV radiation means more robust greenhouses and more reliable local harvests -- anywhere in the world.

What’s better than a highly energy-efficient light bulb? An energy efficient light bulb that won’t hurt your eyes! The BASF team in Taiwan has re-invented the LED. The new Sunvue® lights shine brightly with less electricity than standard LED equivalents. Equally importantly, they protect eye health. Harmful blue light can strain the eyes, causing myopia and interfering with perception. Now there is a better choice. 

Omega 3 is known as the heart-healthy fat: it helps prevent cardiovascular disease which claims more than 17 million lives worldwide every year. Yet too many people don’t get enough Omega-3 in their diets. And to check – use a PUFACoat Omega-3 test kit. A prick of the finger enables testing of an individual‘s Omega-3 level and once known there are recommendations on how to increase or maintain a healthy Omega-3 level. Chemistry is enabling personalised nutrition – helping millions lead healthier, longer lives.

Clean drinking water can be expensive for slum residents in India. Can we make rainwater drinkable at a very low cost? BASF’s Landmark Project is making it happen. This initiative creates an innovative social business model for local communities to harvest and purify rainwater using BASF’s technologies, and offer clean and affordable drinking water to the residents.

With its Innovative catalyst technologies, BASF helps Weichai cope with the most stringent emission control regulations, improves the comprehensive product capabilities and achieve greater business success. 

In January 2018, a severe storm knocked out almost 250 concrete utility poles in Anhui Province, China. With each pole weighing just 250kg – less than a quarter of the weight of a similar concrete pole, Anhui Huike Hengyuan Composite Material Company Limited (Huike) was able to quickly transport 40 Elastolit^® utility poles to the site. Requiring less manpower and equipment than conventional poles, the flexible poles were installed in just 20 hours. Electricity was restored within one day – and has been on ever since.