# Bio-based polyethylene and MEG: Emissions

Can a plastic be carbon negative? It depends what you count

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bio_pe/emissions/

What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint per tonne, split by lifecycle phase (feedstock, production, movement, use, end of life), the global total, other environmental impacts, levers and low-carbon routes, India's position, and where the investment opportunity lies. Emission intensity -3.00 t CO2e per t range about -3 including biogenic carbon uptake; about +1 or more excluding uptake or with land-use change (indicative); fossil PE about 1.6-2.3 · cradle-to-gate including CO2 taken up by sugarcane (about 3.1 t CO2 per t PE stoichiometric) Global emissions per year -0.60 Mt CO2e per year 2025 · indicative: about 200 kt (191 kt sold in 2024) x -3 t; Braskem says its 2023 expansion alone removes about 185 kt CO2e a year

Per t of bio-PE, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: Braskem via Business Wire (Jul 2023): each tonne removes 3 t CO2; Braskem 2025 LCA via Hydrocarbon Processing: net benefit about 5 kg CO2e/kg vs fossil HDPE; fossil range from polyethylene tile. Global total: derived; Braskem 2023.

#### Footprint by lifecycle phase

| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Feedstock** | net negative: uptake of about 3.1 t CO2 per t PE minus cane farming and ethanol emissions (indicative) | – | cane farming, fertiliser N2O, burning where practised, land-use change | indirect land-use change is contested and can erase much of the benefit (indicative) | Braskem 2023; indicative |
| **Production / process** | positive, not published | – | dehydration and polymerisation energy |  | indicative |
| **Movement** | small | – | ethanol trucking in Brazil; container shipping of resin |  | indicative |
| **Use** | not applicable | – | inert |  | not applicable |
| **End of life** | about 3.1 t biogenic CO2 per t if incinerated; stored if landfilled or recycled | – | same fate as fossil PE | carbon benefit only persists if the PE is not burned, or if burning is counted as biogenic | indicative |

#### Other environmental impacts

Land and water for cane; biodiversity risk if cane expands into native vegetation; plastic leakage and microplastics as for fossil PE.

#### Levers to cut emissions

- Low-carbon ethanol (bagasse cogeneration, no burning, lower fertiliser)
- Pair with recycling to keep biogenic carbon locked up
- Use surplus ethanol where fuel demand is saturated (India)

#### India

India makes about 20 billion litres of ethanol a year and blends 11-12 billion litres, leaving 8-9 billion litres surplus (S&P Global, Jun 2026). At about 2.2 m3 per t of ethylene (indicative), 1 billion litres could make roughly 450 kt of bio-ethylene (derived).
 Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.

#### Low-carbon routes

| Route | Intensity | Cost premium | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Sugarcane ethanol to PE (Braskem)** | about -3 t CO2e per t cradle-to-gate (Braskem) | about 30-50% over fossil PE (indicative (unverified)) | 260 kt/yr in Brazil; Thailand 200 kt MoU | Braskem 2023; ethylene tile |
| **Mass-balance bio-naphtha cracking** | lower than fossil (not published) | high (indicative) | commercial in Europe | indicative |

 For a climate investor Bio-PE is proven technology with one producer and a narrow, brand-led market. For India the angle is unusual: a structural ethanol surplus that could supply an ethanol-to-ethylene plant, perhaps at a sugar-mill cluster with a petrochemical partner. What has to be true: ethanol priced below its fuel value for chemical use, buyers paying a premium (often put at 30-50%, unverified) or a carbon price that covers it, and rules that credit bio content. Braskem's single 2023 expansion and unconfirmed Thai plant show how slowly this market grows.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bio_pe/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bio_pe/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bio_pe/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bio_pe/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bio_pe/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bio_pe/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bio_pe/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bio_pe/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bio_pe/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bio_pe/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bio_pe/characteristics/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bio_pe/links/index.md)