^{Joint News Release}

BASF and WPO Polymers cooperate to distribute biopolymer ecovio® for certified compostable bags in Spain and Portugal

• Spanish market for biopolymers is expected to become one of the largest in Europe
• Support food companies and retailers to implement tightening Spanish legislation on the mandatory usage of certified compostable bags

Ludwigshafen, Germany and Sevilla, Spain, September 29, 2021: As part of its growth strategy for its biopolymers business, BASF will cooperate with WPO Polymers to further advance on the fast developing Spanish and Portuguese markets: The plastics solutions provider will act as distributor of BASF‘s ecovio® film product range for certified compostable shopping bags, organic waste bags as well as fruit and vegetable bags in Spain and Portugal. Building on their respective strengths, BASF and its new partner will be better positioned to accelerate business on this important market and to support food companies and retailers to comply with the Spanish Royal decree 293/2018 on the reduction of plastic bags including the mandatory usage of compostable bags (<50 µm thickness) certified according to EN 13432.

„We have chosen WPO Polymers as partner because of its recognized technical expertise in the field of extrusion and its in-depth knowledge of recycling and plastics materials, which complements BASF’s customer-focused strategy for ecovio® in the Spanish market,” says Mia Pettersson, head of BASF’s global business unit Specialty Polymers. „With this new partnership, we want to further improve services for our processors through greater proximity, to meet our customers’ needs more effectively and increase our delivery flexibility. The cooperation will also allow us to support the separate collection of organic waste, as high-quality compost is important for climate change mitigation.“ Since 2018 Spanish legislation has step by step tightened the consumption of bags made of conventional plastics, which in this year culminates in the obligation for retailers and bag producers to offer only light and very lightweight certified compostable bags to consumers. Thus, the Spanish market for biopolymers is expected to become one of the largest in Europe.

„Our expertise is backed by more than 40 years of experience in the plastics industry. With the inclusion of BASF’s innovative biopolymer ecovio® into our portfolio, we will both expand our established business and push the adoption of organic recycling in the Iberian peninsula,” says Manuel Olaegu, CEO and Founder of WPO Polymers. „We give tailored material advice and technical support to each customer to ensure the optimal use of the right material for the respective process and certified compostable application – these are key success factors in the Spanish and Portuguese bioplastics markets.“

The BASF biopolymer ecovio® is certified compostable in accordance with e.g. DIN EN 13432. It is a blend of BASF’s PBAT ecoflex® and renewable raw materials, which means that ecovio® is also partly bio-based. Typical applications for ecovio® are organic waste bags, cling film, fruit and vegetable bags, as well as agricultural mulch films and food packaging applications. Studies show the advantages of ecovio® for production, packaging and shelf life of food as well as for the collection of food waste. These advantages are based on the material’s certified biodegradability in industrial and home composting as well as in soil: Food waste is reduced, nutrients are returned to the soil by means of greater volumes of compost – and the accumulation of microplastic in agricultural soil is avoided, thus closing the nutrient cycle to a Circular Economy by means of organic recycling.

Further information: www.ecovio.basf.com and www.biopolymers.basf.com

About WPO Polymers

At WPO Polymers we have been pioneers in the plastic segment in Spain for more than 40 years. With a highly qualified human team, and the continuous search for the avant-garde through Science, it has allowed us to contribute to human progress in many sectors: food, health, security, agriculture, automotive or new technologies. Always, and unwaveringly, with respect for the Environment as a flag. We collaborate closely with the great references of this industry; companies with whose managers we have been sharing the same ambition for decades: that of a clean and constantly evolving planet.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 110,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €59 billion in 2020. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.

Media contact at BASF:                               Media contact at WPO Polymers:

Dr. Ulla Biernat                                               Mario Henrique de Cerqueira

E-mail: ulla.biernat@basf.com                    E-mail: mario.cerqueira@grupowpo.es

Phone: + 49 621 60-42241                             Phone: +34 954 260 391

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