Tokyo-based multinational Japanese chemical company Asahi Kasei joined European Bioplastics (EUBP) in June 2022.
With this, Asahi Kasei will join about 70 other EUBP member companies covering the entire bioplastics value chain. EUBP aims to advance Europe's economic and regulatory framework for the growth and prosperity of the bioplastics market, while promoting coherent standards, certification and guidelines for transparent claims about bioplastics and their environmental benefits.
Since the European Commission announced its “Green Deal” in 2019, a number of environmental policies have been introduced across the EU. Asahi Kasei will contribute to the establishment of a regulatory framework conducive to the dissemination of bioplastics by actively presenting opinions in the EUBP working group. At the same time, participating in the EUBP will allow Asahi Kasei to quickly understand trends in European environmental policy, which may be fully utilized in Japan and elsewhere.
Earlier this year, Asahi Kasei formed a strategic partnership with Genomatica (San Diego, CA, USA) for hexamethylenediamine (HMD) based on biomass-derived feedstocks (bio-HMD). Asahi Kasei currently uses fossil fuel-derived HMD as an intermediate to make Leona polyamide 66 (also known as nylon 66), an engineering plastic with excellent heat resistance and rigidity. Polyamide 66 is used in plastic parts in automotive and electronic applications, and in yarns for airbag fabrics. Global demand for polyamide 66 is expected to increase.
By combining this bio-HMD with its own polyamide 66 polymerization technology, Asahi Kasei aims to support its goal of becoming the first more sustainable polyamide 66 made using a biomass-derived intermediate, which is used in Plastic components and fibers for industrial automotive and electronic applications.
Asahi Kasei also expects that the use of this biotechnology will help achieve its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, while also reducing the environmental burden of customers' products throughout their life cycles.
In Asahi Kasei's mid-term business plan through 2024, the environment and energy are identified as priority areas for delivering value. Asahi Kasei expects that his participation in the EUBP will facilitate the creation of greater value in the environmental field.
