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Chemicals giants team up in joint effort to transform everyday products: 'We are very excited'

"Our partnership enables us to develop market-driven solutions."

Chemical giants BASF and International Flavors & Fragrances are teaming up to target sustainability in personal care and cleaning products.

Photo Credit: iStock

Sustainability regarding personal care and eco-friendly cleaning products has been a work in progress, and now two chemical companies are teaming up to further that progress. 

Manufacturing Digital reported that chemical giants BASF and International Flavors & Fragrances have joined forces to develop a market-ready version of IFF's biomaterials technology platform in order to target sustainability in personal care and cleaning products.

The partnership focuses on the enzyme platform known as Designed Enzymatic Biomaterials, a property of IFF, with BASF bringing its expertise in chemical manufacturing to the table.

IFF's technology utilizes enzymes, which act as catalysts to increase the speed of chemical reactions. The company developed this enzyme technology to support the production of enzyme systems and bio-based polymers, which are found in various cleaning and personal care products, at a commercial scale.

By collaborating with BASF, IFF hopes to scale its technology to deliver market-ready solutions, particularly in the manufacturing and use of personal care and cleaning products, thereby reducing resource and energy consumption.

The chemical industry is facing growing pressure to promote sustainable options and limit its impact on the environment and local communities, meaning chemical companies need to manufacture products that meet expectations while generating far less harmful carbon pollution. Meanwhile, the industry is facing growing demands for alternatives to traditional chemical ingredients, as consumer and regulatory preferences continue to move toward more eco-friendly options.

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This partnership's technology design will help meet both of those needs. Enzymes are known for reducing environmental impact in chemical processes because they operate at lower temperatures than traditional methods. Lower operating temperatures mean these processes use less energy not only during manufacturing but also during consumer use.

The Designed Enzymatic Biomaterials platform also specializes in targeting other areas where enzymes can offer more sustainability, such as reduced packaging waste and better efficiency during production.

Bio-based polymers are also part of the collaboration between IFF and BASF. They offer a more sustainable alternative to conventional offerings derived from dirty energy sources and can replace petroleum-based ingredients in a vast variety of consumer products.

Between the bio-based polymers and enzymes, those in the consumer and industrial markets can conserve resources and reduce waste while still enjoying the products that they know and love.

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While focusing on their shared goals of sustainability via resource conservation and waste reduction, both IFF and BASF will continue to operate independently. This will allow both companies to use their own development and research infrastructure and maintain their standings in a competitive marketplace.

The CEO at IFF, Erik Fyrwald, shared more about the partnership with Manufacturing Digital and explained: "We are very excited about the collaboration with BASF to jointly unlock new potential in enzyme and polymer technologies. Our partnership enables us to develop market-driven solutions that create sustainable value for both the industry and the environment."

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