• New Basotect EcoBalanced has an up to 50% lower Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) than respective standard grades
• Produced with 100% green electricity
• Fossil-based feedstock is replaced with renewable alternative from waste-based feedstock and attributed to the product via certified biomass balance approach
• Supports the transportation and construction industries to increase the use of renewable feedstock and reduce emissions

February, 27, 2025 – As the world’s first melamine foam manufacturer, BASF now introduces its Basotect EcoBalanced. According to the company, the new resin helps to reduce the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) of many sound absorption applications in the transportation as well as in the building and construction industries. The manufacturer claims Basotect EcoBalanced has an up to 50% lower PCF (1) than the respective BASF standard grades because of two sustainability levers: It is manufactured in a resource-efficient process using 100% green electricity; and the fossil raw materials needed to produce it have been replaced with renewable feedstock at the very beginning of the production. The renewable feedstock comes from organic waste and residual biomass and is attributed to the Basotect grade via a mass balance approach which is certified according to REDcert2 and ISCC PLUS (2). The company says that Basotect EcoBalanced not only contributes to reducing the use of fossil resources, but also does it in a transparent manner for BASF´s customers as the company provides PCF data to support them in evaluating their own products and achieving their sustainability targets.

Compared to other melamine resin foams on the market, e.g. Basotect G+, EcoBalanced shows a PCF which is more than two-thirds lower (at 9kg/m³). Also, in comparison to alternative insulation materials like PET fleece (30kg/m³) it achieves considerably lower emissions. In addition to these sustainability advantages, BASF says Basotect EcoBalanced is an easy drop-in solution: It shows the same material performance as respective standard grades. Manufacturers of applications like engine covers, wall and ceiling sound absorbers, HVAC (heating, ventilation, air-conditioning) parts and air cleaners do not have to adapt their existing manufacturing process or invest extra money into new processing lines. Most of these applications made of Basotect EcoBalanced do not have to be re-qualified, either.

“Our Basotect EcoBalanced is the melamine resin foam with the lowest PCF on the market,” says Tarek Abuzarour, head of global business management Basotect at BASF. “This helps our customers to take a decisive step towards their NetZero targets. They can rely on the same quality with Basotect EcoBalanced to which they are accustomed. At the same time they can differentiate their products from competition by extra sustainability benefits – and they can contribute to the reduction of fossil resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.” BASF says it is the first company with transparent emission data for their melamine resin foam. This helps customers to better measure and reduce the CO2 footprint of their products in transportation as well as in building and construction – industries that play a crucial role in reducing global emissions.

Reliable calculation and third-party certification for proven lower PCF

BASF has developed a digital application to calculate the cradle-to-gate PCFs for its 45,000 sales products, including Basotect. The PCF comprises all product-related greenhouse gas emissions that occur until the BASF product leaves the factory gate: from the purchased raw material to emissions from operations and the use of energy in production processes. Options for reducing PCF include the usage of green electricity in the production process or attributing renewable materials via a biomass balance approach. In this approach, the fossil feedstocks in the first steps of production are replaced by biomass-based resources. The renewable amount is then attributed to specific products at the end of the manufacturing process by means of a third-party certified method: An independent certification confirms that BASF has replaced the required quantities of fossil feedstock for the biomass balanced product that customers buy with renewable feedstock according to the REDcert2 and ISCC PLUS requirements.

(1) BASF’s product carbon footprint (PCF) calculations for conventional products follow the requirements and guidance given by ISO 14067:2018. A TÜV Rheinland methodology review has certified that the SCOTT PCF methodology developed and used by BASF SE is based on scientific evidence, meets ISO 14067:2018 and the Together for Sustainability PCF policy, and reflects the state of the art (ID no. 0000080389: BASF SE – Certipedia). TÜV Rheinland also confirms that the biomass balance (BMB) PCF calculation method and the associated PCF reduction for BMB-certified products follow the conventional LCA method in accordance with ISO 14067 and the Together for Sustainability (TfS) policy.

(2) REDcert2 and ISCC PLUS are sustainability certification schemes for the use of sustainable biomass as raw material in the chemical industry. A certification according to these certification schemes confirms that the biomass used is sustainable and has been fed into the production system in the required amount. It also confirms that the sustainable biomass has been correctly attributed to the corresponding sales products. The certifications are awarded on the basis of on-site audits conducted by independent auditors.

.Source: BASF