In Q4 of 2022, BASF Forward AM launched #ProjectZero to mark the start of a long-term commitment to reducing our impact on the planet. This comprehensive program includes the continuing development of sustainable products, solutions, and production methods as well as the creation of Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) which are designed to understand and better communicate the ecological effects the 3D printing industry has on the planet. By proactively measuring our environmental impact through LCAs, we can reduce our carbon footprint and offset what cannot be eliminated through our Carbon Compensation (CC) program.

Circular economy, biodegradability, recyclability – these are just some of the terms being used when talking about sustainability. With climate change being the biggest challenge of our time, switching to more sustainable alternatives has become an integral part of doing business. For manufacturers, this means scrutinizing materials, products, and technologies with regards to sustainability and assessing the potential Additive Manufacturing (AM) can have on reducing their carbon footprint.

With unwavering support from Forward AM’s leadership, this program has evolved the way we work through the education and encouragement of our team to make responsible choices. We are methodically working to both better understand the environmental impact of our materials as they are developed and produced as well as to identify the way they are being used by consumers. By providing this detailed information to our customers, they can make more sustainable choices for their businesses.

Life Cycle Assessments (LCA)

A Life Cycle Assessment is a study that calculates the environmental impacts that are associated with every step of the production of a product. We at Forward AM take sustainability very seriously and provide as much transparency as possible for both our customers and the AM industry at large. We currently offer LCAs for HP 3D High Reusability PP, Ultrasint® PA11, TPU01, TPU 88A, PP 1400 Black and are working to add ten more by the end of 2023. This total of 15 LCAs would be the highest number offered by any material supplier within the 3D printing business.

This means Forward AM will provide a detailed report of the material, energy, and other resources that are being used over a product’s life span. These data points are gathered across the product’s industry value chain and later cumulated into an emission score.

Carbon Compensation

BASF Forward AM launched the Carbon Compensation (CC) program to counterbalance what we cannot reduce to go full circle as responsible environmental stewards. This program is a very useful tool which can be utilized to reduce carbon emissions in the short-term while efforts to transition to renewable energy and overall emission reductions are being made.

We offer Carbon Compensation for our PP line of materials which includes which includes HP 3D High Reusability PP and PP 1400 Black, as well as TPU01, TPU 88A, TPU 88A Black and will be adding 12 additional materials to this program by the end of 2023. This increase in the products encompassed in this program will continue to finance projects that result in long-term carbon capture, which will then balance out the unavoidable emissions that are created during the manufacturing process of our materials

In May of this year, Martin Back, CEO and Managing Director of Forward AM, signed a letter to express our commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. “As a global leader in advanced materials and 3D printing solutions, we recognize the importance of working towards a sustainable future for all. Forward AM is dedicated to reducing waste throughout our supply chain, minimizing our carbon footprint as well as to continue promoting social responsibility by ensuring fair labor practices and supporting local communities,” Back said. “Our innovative work and collaboration with other like-minded organizations will lead to meaningful progress towards these shared goals as the only way forward is together.”