P&G uses sugarcane-based plastic to package leading brands

The company will use the high density polyethylene from sugarcane, manufactured by Brazilian company Braskem, for selected products in the Pantene Pro-V, Covergirl, and Max Factor ranges.

Braskem manufactures the material, which is chemically identical to its petrochemical-based cousin, using ethanol made from sustainably grown Brazilian sugarcane.

100 percent recyclable​

As the material is the same, no alterations to product design or the disposal of the product have to be made, and the material is 100 per cent recyclable in existing municipal facilities.

According to Jenny Rushmore, global sustainability director for P&G, the first products will be seen on the shelf early 2011, although details of the exact products that will use the new material are not yet available.

Rushmore explained that the move is in response to consumers who are calling for more environmentally-friendly products.

“Our goal is to provide more environmentally-friendly products, but without sacrificing product performance or aesthetics, or paying more,”​ she told CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com.

“We continually look for opportunities to reduce packaging while maintaining consumer needs and product integrity,” ​she added.

Although the first products will be available early 2011, the project will be rolled out globally over the next two years.

“P&G beauty and grooming’s ongoing approach to sustainability is based on a scientific assessment of a product’s full environmental impact. The switch to renewable packaging will be made globally over the course of the next two years to make the most meaningful improvement to our footprint that we can,”​ Ed Shirley, vice chairman of P&G beauty and grooming said in a statement.

P&G’s is the second beauty and personal care company to announce their use of Braskem’s sugarcane based plastic.

Natura launch Braskem plastic​

Early this week, CosmeticsDesign.com USA reported on Brazil-headquartered company Natura which will be using Braskem’s resin in the refill packaging for its Evra Doce soap range.

Natura said using Braskem’s sugarcane based polyethylene can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 71 per cent as opposed to a more traditional, petrochemical derived alternative.

“Our intention is to expand this package to other products in our portfolio, according to the production capacity of the green plastic by Braskem, which will provide the first lot from a pilot facility,”​ Natura’s package development manager Emiliano Barelli told CosmeticsDesign.com USA.