Braskem and Brinquedos Estrela have announced they shall establish a long-term partnership to develop products made of green polyethylene made of 100% renewable raw material during the International Week for the Environment


The first result of this partnership is Sustainable Monopoly, a modern version of one of the most traditional games in Brazilian toy industry, which shall soon be in the market with the proposal of joining environmental education and entertaining. New joint developments have been scheduled by the companies for the next few months, particularly from 2010 on, when Braskem’s green polyethylene production shall achieve industrial scale.

The new game design and concept were developed together by Braskem and Estrela. The partnership as based on the creation of a new green plastic product capable of using both companies’ know-how in innovation, technology, environment and market. Through this initiative, Braskem moves one more step further toward offering breakthrough technology to the market, and Estrela reinforces its leadership position in the Brazilian toy market.

"Estrela is enthusiastically taking part in green plastic toy development, a project that fits the company’s strategy of having pioneer actions, technological innovation and environmental education as part of its mission. We understand that taking these innovations to children is part of an important part of an educational process involving environmental awareness so that, when these children grow into new leaders, they shall be able to better contribute for our planet’s sustainable growth," says Carlos Tilkian, Brinquedos Estrela CEO.

Innovation and commitment to sustainable development were important motivations for Braskem when developing Sustainable Monopoly. "Partnership with Estrela is a milestone in another successful stage in launching green polyethylene technology, which has been attracting the eye of large domestic and international market leaders interested in showing themselves to society as tuned to its efforts in fighting for sustainability," says José Carlos Grubisich, Braskem CEO. "Besides that, this initiative has contributed to take environmental education to children and youths in an entertaining way, with a view to building a better world for future generations," he added.

Braskem was the first company in the world to announce an internationally-certified polyethylene made of 100% renewable raw material. Besides this high initial density polyethylene, which is being produced at a pilot plant in Braskem’s Technology and Innovation Center with capacity for 12 tons a year, the company certified low linear density polyethylene containing green butane at the beginning of this year. It will soon announce where it is going to implement a polyethylene production plant with capacity for 200 thousand tons a year.

In its traditional version, Monopoly has been marketed in Brazil since 1944. In the new version, the toy plastic pieces are made of Braskem’s green polyethylene, which shall contribute to decrease greenhouse effect by taking CO2 (carbon gas) from the atmosphere into themselves. The board, box and cards are made of recycled paper.

The whole game dynamics is connected to the sustainability issue. Instead of portraying an urban scenario, board houses show natural reserves such as Pantanal, São Francisco River, Chapada dos Veadeiros, Mantiqueira Range and sugar cane production sites such as Ribeirão Preto, Três Lagoas (MS), and Teotônio Vilela (AL).

Besides that, new issues such as corporate activities with a focus on sustainable development were introduced by putting into play companies as Power Recycling Company, Reforestation Company, Organic Agriculture and Mechanical Recycling. Luck or Reverse cards are also thematic. The player gets bonuses for "protecting his/her land for deforestation and makes money from ecotourism," or "his organic restaurant chain is a success," for example.

The product shall get to the market in July for R$ 89.90. Braskem shall get 3 thousand copies for environmental-education-focused actions.

For further information: e-mail info@brazilianplastics.com