Philadelphia Eagles Join Sustainability Partner Braskem to Clean Up South Philadelphia's Historic FDR Park

April 19, 2022

4 Min Read
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PHILADELPHIA -- Braskem (B3: BRKM3, BRKM5, and BRKM6; LATIBEX: XBRK; OTC: BRKMY), the largest polyolefins producer in the Americas, as well as a market leader and pioneer producer of biopolymers on an industrial scale cleaned up South Philadelphia's FDR Park today with the help of the Philadelphia Eagles. Covering 348 acres, FDR Park is South Philadelphia's largest park and is located adjacent to Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Eagles. Braskem will also donate a new bench made from recycled items at Lincoln Financial Field, which includes plastic bottle caps, food service trays, and even stadium seats.

"At Fairmount Park Conservancy, we are grateful when members of the community pitch in to show their love for Philadelphia's parks. The Philadelphia Eagles and Braskem's efforts in the gem of FDR Park are very much appreciated as both organizations are focused on sustainability. We hope other companies will follow their lead!" shared Maura McCarthy, Executive Director.

Braskem and the Eagles joined forces in September 2018, entering a nine-year sustainability-focused partnership. The partnership included the development of a closed-loop recycling program for bottle caps and other plastic products, as well as an education platform for 30 Philadelphia-area schools to teach students about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) career opportunities to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders. This educational focus is the central pillar of the parties' partnership around strengthening youth-focused STEM education.

"Braskem is excited to further strengthen our partnership with the Eagles and Fairmount Park Conservancy and support our local community by participating in a joint cleanup effort for FDR Park, one of Philadelphia's most important public institutions and outdoor recreational spaces. Braskem, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, has made sustainable commitments to people and the planet. Two of these commitments center around eliminating plastic waste and helping to advance local development in the communities where Braskem operates. Seizing opportunities where we can make our community cleaner so it can be better enjoyed by its members coupled with strengthening relationships with organizations who can help us amplify this sort of impact are critically important to Braskem," stated Geoff Inch, North America Sustainability Director, Braskem.

Since 2018, 60,000 pounds of plastic items, such as bottle caps, films, stadium seats, and food service trays, have been collected and recycled from the team's facilities. The recycled plastic is then turned into new applications, such as park benches. In 2021, the Eagles and Braskem donated one of the recycled park benches (produced in Eagles team colors) to the William C. Longstreth School Playground Build. Plastics benefit our lives by preserving and protecting our beverages and food, making sports equipment lighter and safer, and light-weighting cars and planes to use less energy and fuel. Braskem supports recycling these products at the end of their life cycle so they can create a new life as post-recycled material to continue benefiting society.

"Our partnership with Braskem has allowed us to expand our sustainability efforts by creating innovative recycling solutions at our facilities and an engaging STEM curriculum for young students in the classroom," said Norman Vossschulte, Director of Fan Experience, Philadelphia Eagles. "As a LEED Gold and ISO 20121 certified organization, the Eagles are committed to protecting the environment, including our home in Philadelphia. We are proud to join Braskem in the cleanup of FDR Park and in efforts to create a cleaner, more sustainable world for everyone."

Braskem is strongly committed to a Carbon Neutral Circular Economy where nothing is wasted, and everything is transformed. To support this vision for the future, Braskem has clearly stated targets for growing the company's recycled content product portfolio to sales of 300,000 tons by 2025 and one million tons by 2030. Braskem's transition to a circular economy is deeply rooted in mechanical and advanced recycling solutions. By engaging and investing in partnerships with other members of the value chain, the company is strengthening mechanical and advanced recycling, overcoming barriers, and ensuring the increased production of high-quality recycled material.  All these initiatives are aligned with Braskem's feedstock diversification strategy and its macro goals of expanding the circular economy concept in the plastic chain and becoming a carbon-neutral company by 2050.

For more information on Braskem's global sustainable development strategy, please visit www.braskem.com/sustainabledevelopmentstrategy.

ABOUT BRASKEM

With a global vision of the future oriented towards people and sustainability, Braskem is committed to contributing to the value chain for strengthening the Circular Economy. The petrochemical company's almost 8,000 team members dedicate themselves every day to improve people's lives through sustainable chemicals and plastics solutions. Braskem has an innovative DNA and a comprehensive portfolio of plastic resins and chemical products for diverse segments, such as food packaging, construction, manufacturing, automotive, agribusiness, healthcare, and hygiene, among others. With 41 industrial units in Brazil, the United States, Mexico, and Germany, Braskem exports its products to clients in more than 80 countries.

Braskem America is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Braskem S.A. headquartered in Philadelphia. The company is the leading producer of polypropylene in the United States, with six production plants located in Texas, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, an Innovation and Technology Center in Pittsburgh, and operations in Boston focused on leveraging groundbreaking developments in biotechnology and advanced materials. For more information, visit www.braskem.com/usa.

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