Braskem EVA Recycling Technology Research Partnership Awarded RD&D Grant from the REMADE Institute - Seite 2

Braskem RD&D Partnership Project Awarded Funding by REMADE:

Dynamic Crosslinking to Produce Secondary Feedstock from Recycled EVA as a Sustainable Solution for Footwear

• This project aspires to reduce the waste generated by permanently cross-linked EVA, the rubbery material that forms the cushion of shoe midsoles, through the development of a dynamic crosslinking technology that facilitates both the direct reuse of process scrap and the recyclability of post-service parts.

Nabil Nasr, REMADE Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Across the nation and around the world, cleaner production, clean tech, and adoption of a circular economy are recognized as critical drivers to a prosperous future. Our experts are working diligently with Braskem and its partners to reach these critically important goals and, in the process, accelerate the U.S.’s transition to a Circular Economy. The anticipated results of Braskem’s project will move the U.S. closer to the nation’s energy conservation and emissions reduction targets.”

The circular economy is a sustainable model that aims to minimize waste by keeping resources in use for as long as possible, extracting their maximum value while in use, and then recovering and regenerating products and materials at the end of a resource’s life cycle. Not only does this reduce environmental impact, but it also offers new business opportunities and economic benefits, supporting innovation, job creation, and global competitiveness.

REMADE-funded research projects seek to innovate industrial-scale materials production and processing, achieving multiple positive impacts among the following Target Technical Performance Metrics (TPMs), including:

• Reducing primary feedstock consumed
• Reducing secondary feedstock energy
• Increasing embodied energy efficiency
• Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
• Facilitating cross-industry reuse
• Balancing cost and energy party

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, manufacturing accounts for 25% of U.S. energy consumption at a cost of approximately $150 billion. Based on data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, industry is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the nation, at 30%. By embracing the circular economy, REMADE’s investments ensure that America’s manufacturing sector remains globally competitive while moving the nation closer to meeting the clean energy goals set forth by the Biden-Harris Administration including achieving a net-zero-emissions economy by 2050.