Against the backdrop of an accelerating low-carbon transition in the global chemical and adhesives industry, BASF and Avery Dennison have announced a milestone innovation – a series of acrylate products manufactured using renewable electricity. On March 31, 2026, BASF officially launched Butyl Acrylate RE and 2-Ethylhexyl Acrylate RE, with Avery Dennison taking the lead in commercializing them across the adhesives and sealants value chain. This collaboration not only responds to growing downstream demand for sustainable raw materials, but also marks a substantial step forward in optimizing the carbon footprint of acrylates – a key basic chemical – at the production stage.
1. Core Highlight: 100% Green Electricity Manufacturing, Significantly Reduced Carbon Footprint
Both RE-grade acrylates are produced at BASF’s integrated site in Freeport, Texas, USA. Through long-term power purchase agreements tied to local wind and solar projects, the entire production process uses 100% renewable electricity instead of conventional grid power, thereby substantially reducing CO₂ emissions during manufacturing. According to BASF’s SCOTT methodology for product carbon footprint (PCF), this results in a significantly improved PCF. The scientific validity of this methodology has been certified by TÜV Rheinland, complying with ISO 14067:2018 and the Together for Sustainability PCF Guideline 3.0.
2. Product Performance: Fully Equivalent “Drop-in” Solution
For downstream customers, adopting new sustainable materials often raises concerns about product performance and process changes. BASF clearly states that Butyl Acrylate RE and 2-Ethylhexyl Acrylate RE are identical in quality and performance to conventionally produced products. Both are “drop-in” monomers for polymer dispersions, meaning they can directly replace conventional raw materials in existing coating and adhesive formulations without any process adjustments. This feature dramatically lowers the technical barriers and risks for customers switching to more sustainable feedstocks.
3. Value Chain Collaboration: A Closed-Loop Decarbonization Path from Production to Application
This partnership demonstrates strategic alignment between an upstream chemical giant and a downstream industry leader to build a closed-loop decarbonization path:
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Upstream production (BASF): BASF continues to invest in renewable energy supply, electrification of production technologies, and circular raw material routes to reduce emissions from its own operations and the value chain. The Freeport site, one of BASF’s six global integrated hubs, launched a Freedom Energy project in 2025 featuring 72 MW of solar PV and 60 MW of battery storage, laying a solid foundation for 100% renewable electricity supply.
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Downstream application (Avery Dennison): As a global leader in materials science and digital identification solutions, Avery Dennison has taken the lead in commercializing the RE-grade acrylates to drive the use of more sustainable raw materials across the entire adhesives and sealants value chain. This move is a key step toward its ambitious goal of reducing Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 30%.
Michael Limbach, Vice President of Industrial Petrochemicals at BASF North America, commented: “This announcement shows how our collaboration with Avery Dennison is making meaningful progress toward a lower carbon future. It demonstrates the power of investing in responsible production and efficient, future-oriented operations, enabling BASF to deliver the high-performance acrylates that Avery Dennison and the North American market expect.”
Collins Oluka, Vice President of Procurement for North America and Global Chemicals at Avery Dennison’s Materials Group, added: “Our work with BASF is proof of our commitment to introduce more sustainable materials across our integrated supply chain. Innovations like renewable electricity-based acrylates help advance our long-term sustainability goals. We look forward to further collaborating with BASF to scale more sustainable material solutions for our customers.”
Outlook
Both BASF and Avery Dennison have set comprehensive environmental targets. This collaboration not only provides the coatings and adhesives industry with an immediately available low-carbon raw material solution, but also sets an example for cross-industry collaboration to achieve decarbonization across the entire chemical value chain. As their partnership deepens, more sustainable and scalable solutions are expected to reach the market, strongly advancing the industry toward net-zero emission goals.
Source：BASF and Avery Dennison collaborate to launch BASF’s newest acrylates based on renewable electricity
