BASF has announced the expansion of its EcoBalanced portfolio for Care Chemicals in North America with the introduction of the first EcoBalanced products for personal care in the region. BASF’s cocoamidopropyl betaine products Dehyton PK 45 and Dehyton KE UP are now certified as EcoBalanced grades using a biomass balance (BMB) approach.

Betaines are widely used as secondary surfactants in various personal and home care products, such as rinse-off products and toothpaste. They enhance foam production, increase viscosity, and reduce skin irritation, making them valuable ingredients in formulations that contribute to improve cleansing and enhanced sensorial experiences for consumers.

These EcoBalanced products support the replacement of fossil resources with renewable raw materials through a certified mass balance approach. At the beginning of the value chain, fossil-based raw materials are substituted with the corresponding amount of certified renewable resources and attributed to the product.

By utilizing a BMB approach, the cradle-to-gate product carbon footprint (PCF) of these betaine products is significantly reduced in comparison to the conventional product. The certification scheme REDcert confirms the proper replacement of fossil raw materials and the correct attribution. The EcoBalanced grades of these products will be available starting in Q1 2025.

BASF’s production site in Mauldin, South Carolina, will become the second Care Chemicals site in the United States to be certified for biomass balance. BASF’s production site in Geismar, Louisiana, received certification in 2023 for BASF’s home care polymer Sokalan HP 20.

As of 2024, the sites in Cincinnati, Ohio; Mauldin, South Carolina; White Stone (Spartanburg), South Carolina; Theodore, Alabama; Washington, New Jersey; and East Setauket, New York, will be powered entirely by renewable energy. This energy comes from solar and wind sources, primarily through renewable energy credits (RECs) generated by BASF’s virtual power purchase agreements (vPPAs).