BASF is one of the first suppliers to the European home and personal care industry to offer a diverse range of ingredients based on certified sustainable palm (kernel) oil, in accordance with the principles and criteria of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). This is a multi-stakeholder initiative, “to promote the growth and use of sustainable palm oil through co-operation within the supply chain and open dialogue between its stakeholders”.

Palm oil is obtained from the palm fruit; palm kernel oil is extracted from the kernel of the palm fruit as a by-product. The palm (kernel) oil is sourced via either the Segregation (SG) or the Mass Balance (MB) supply chain system of the RSPO:
The SG supply chain system assures that the palm (kernel) oil and the subsequent derivatives are kept strictly separated from uncertified oil in every step of the individual production process – from the plantation to the final product.
The MB supply chain system allows for mixing of RSPO-certified oil with oil from uncertified sources at any point in the supply chain. A match between the purchased volumes of certified palm (kernel) oil and processed derivatives needs to be guaranteed.
The RSPO-MB system represents an intermediate step on the way to the fully traceable sustainable sourcing of oil palm products.

To establish a RSPO-SG supply chain system, BASF has invested in setting up separate tanks, as well as production and transportation measures. By this their ingredients will allow home and personal care manufacturers to develop value-added formulations that meet the strongly increasing market demand for certified, sustainable sourcing of raw materials.

• BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany