“Braskem is pleased to be working with UNITED CAPS to bring their more environmentally sustainable GREENER closure solutions to the caps and closure market,” said Brendan Hill, Sales Manager at Braskem Netherlands B.V.

Bio ethanol, the feedstock for I'm green™ Polyethylene, the basis for UNITED CAPS GREENER bioplastic caps, is derived from sugarcane, a renewable alternative to traditional fossil feedstocks. Being a renewable feedstock, sugarcane captures and fixes CO2 from the atmosphere with every growth cycle, which occurs annually. This means that the production of I'm green™ Polyethylene contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional polyethylene, made from fossil materials.

“As a result, the carbon footprint of I'm green™ Polyethylene is negative, when considering our life cycle analysis. This means that every kilogram of I’m green™ Polyethylene used in UNITED CAPS products results in 3.09 kilograms of CO2 being sequestered from the atmosphere,” Hill explained “Apart from the feedstock, I’m green™ Polyethylene follows the same production process as traditional fossil Polyethylene, ensuring that our Polyethylene has the same characteristics, quality and properties as the fossil equivalent,” he added “It goes without saying that I’m green™ Polyethylene fits all existing end-of-life scenarios and that our ethanol is sustainably sourced with clear chain of custody certification possible.”

UNITED CAPS is initially bringing to market two standard closures manufactured using bioplastic resin from Braskem, including:

• The VICTORIA closure, a 30/25 screw closure designed for still drinks.

• PROFLATSEAL, ideal for dairy products and still drinks, both pressurized and non-pressurized.

“As we continue to take steps to ensure our caps and closures are as sustainable as possible, this partnership with Braskem is an important step in that direction,” said Astrid Hoffmann-Leist, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer for UNITED CAPS. “Using bio-sourced plastics and developing high performance lighter weight caps and closures are just two of the ways we are pursuing more sustainable operations.”

Innovative caps and closures for the food and drink industry are the core business of the Luxembourg-based family company UNITED CAPS. Its custom-designed caps and closures solutions have been one of the most sought-after solutions in the packaging industry for years. The company has experience growth in the high single digits since its 2015 rebranding, with a significant percentage of production being bespoke products that are uniquely designed to meet customer needs for exceptional appearance and ease of use, both in the filling line and for the consumer.

For further requests please contact Monika Dürr at monika.d@duomedia.com.

The GREENER closures: same performance as traditional closures, but better for the environment.

ABOUT UNITED CAPS
UNITED CAPS is a global industry reference for the design and production of highly-performant plastic caps and closures. Extensive innovative capabilities and a broad portfolio of advanced standard and bespoke solutions make UNITED CAPS a preferred partner to the world’s leading companies. We support our customers’ value chain by safeguarding product integrity, assuring safety and consumer health, and ultimately protecting brand reputation. A highly dynamic and flexible, family-based group, UNITED CAPS offers end-to-end solutions to serve a wide range of applications and markets around the world. The company is headquartered in Luxembourg and has manufacturing facilities in Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg and Spain. Employing more than 500 people, UNITED CAPS’s turnover amounts to 137 million Euros (as at end 2017).

About Braskem
Braskem is the largest thermoplastic resins producer in the Americas, with annual production volume of over 20 million tons, which includes other chemical products and basic petrochemicals, with annual revenue of R$54 billion. Driven by its purpose of improving people’s lives and creating sustainable solutions in chemicals and plastics, Braskem is present in more than 70 countries, has around 8,000 team members and operates 41 industrial units in Brazil, the United States, Germany and Mexico, the latter in partnership with the Mexican company Idesa.

PRESS CONTACT
Monika Dürr
duomedia
monika.d@duomedia.com
+49 (0)6104 944895