The I'm Green Bio-based PE from Braskem SA - sugarcane plastic in everyday packaging

Reviewed: ad hoc news New Release & Launch desk. Edited and checked on 2026-06-23, 23:39. Details in the imprint.

I'm Green Bio-based PE from Braskem SA sits surprisingly soft in the hand when you squeeze a shampoo bottle on a bathroom shelf, even though it looks like conventional plastic. Yet the resin inside that bottle started life in a sugarcane field in Brazil.

How I'm Green PE is made

I'm Green Bio-based PE is a family of polyethylene resins produced from bioethanol derived from Brazilian sugarcane, rather than oil or gas feedstock. Braskem converts ethanol into bio-ethylene and then polymerizes it into high and low density grades.

According to sustainability director Ana Laura Sivieri, the process is designed so that converters can run the bio-based grades on existing extrusion and molding lines with minimal adjustments, easing the switch from fossil PE. That compatibility is a quiet but crucial detail for packaging clients.

What it changes for packaging

From the outside, a bottle or film made with I'm Green PE looks clean and glossy like any other polyethylene, and it can even carry the same recycling codes. The difference is in the carbon balance: Braskem states that each kilogram sequesters around 3.09 kilograms of CO? during sugarcane growth.

Brand owners such as Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble have used the resin in cosmetic bottles, while European retailers have tested it in carrier bags for supermarkets. For shoppers, the only visible hint is often a small green leaf logo on the back of the pack.

Performance in daily use

Converters report that I'm Green PE grades behave similarly to standard fossil-based PE in processes such as blow molding, injection molding, and film extrusion. That means caps still click firmly, and shopping bags rustle with the same tactile feel when you unpack groceries.

The resin is chemically identical to conventional polyethylene, so recyclers in existing PE streams do not need new sorting technology. For sustainability officers like Braskem's Walmir Soller, this drop-in character is a central argument when speaking with large consumer brands.

Limits and trade-offs

Despite the bio-based origin, I'm Green PE itself is not biodegradable or compostable, so it relies on established mechanical recycling systems. Critics in some NGO reports point out that land use for sugarcane cultivation can be a concern if not managed responsibly.

Braskem counters that its feedstock comes from Brazilian sugarcane grown away from the Amazon and that the crop is rain-fed rather than irrigated. The company also publishes life cycle assessments indicating lower cradle-to-gate emissions versus fossil PE grades.

Market reach and availability

I'm Green Bio-based PE was first launched in 2010 and has since expanded into multiple density and melt index grades for packaging and consumer goods applications. Customers are located mainly in Europe, North America, and Asia, supplied from Brazil and through global distribution partners.

For German or wider European consumers, the resin typically appears inside bottles, tubes, and films rather than as a product on the shelf, so awareness depends on how prominently brands communicate the I'm Green label.

Strategic role and stock context

For Braskem SA, the I'm Green portfolio anchors a strategy that shifts part of its polyolefin capacity toward lower-carbon, higher-margin specialties while still using the same downstream customer base. The initiative also helps the group position itself in sustainability indices and corporate ESG benchmarks.

Braskem SA shares (ISIN US10554K1025) are listed on the New York Stock Exchange as ADRs and on B3 in São Paulo, giving international investors exposure to this bio-based plastics push.

This article was AI-assisted and editorially reviewed. Product information without guarantee; prices and availability may change at short notice. No investment advice, no buy or sell recommendation. Stock-market transactions involve risks up to total loss.