Sweet! P&G beauty packs to use sugarcane-derived plastic
- Filed in:
- Bioplastics,
- Personal care
Selected packaging for Pantene Pro-V, Cover Girl, and Max Factor brands will use plastic derived from sugarcane that is 100% recyclable.
The Procter & Gamble Co. has announced plans to use renewable, sustainable, sugarcane-derived plastic on selected packaging on its Pantene Pro-V, Cover Girl, and Max Factor brands.
Sugarcane-derived plastic is made from a renewable resource using what P&G says is an innovative process that transforms sugarcane into high-density polyethylene plastic. It remains 100% recyclable in existing municipal recycling facilities. The technology sounds similar to that used for the The Coca-Cola Co.’s PlantBottle™, which uses sugarcane-derived monoethylene glycol to produce PET bottles that are 30% plant-based.
"P&G's commitment to use renewable, bio-derived plastic in its global beauty and grooming product packaging is an important step forward in its efforts to improve the environmental profile of its products," says Dr. Jason Clay, senior vice president of Market Transformation of World Wildlife Fund, U.S. "We applaud this announcement as part of their leadership in finding innovative solutions to the sustainability challenges facing the world today."
By launching this renewable packaging on some of its global beauty brands, P&G will leverage its scale to deliver meaningful environmental improvements, it says. P&G will source the sugarcane-derived plastic from Braskem SA, which manufactures the material using ethanol made from sustainably grown Brazilian sugarcane. The pilot will be rolled out globally over the next two years, with the first products expected to be on shelf in 2011.
''This innovation is truly consumer-driven. As we talk with women around the world, they tell us that they want to make themselves more beautiful without making their environment less beautiful,'' says Gina Drosos, group president, Global P&G Beauty. ''With this new packaging innovation, women can have confidence that their favorite brands are helping to make a difference.''
Says Len Sauers, P&G vice president, Global Sustainability, "Using sugarcane-derived plastic represents another step in P&G's commitment to environmental sustainability and the development of sustainable innovation products P&G is making significant progress in environmental sustainability through our work with external partners. Together, we are working on creative solutions that deliver science-based sustainable innovations."
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Using sugarcane to make plastics - this is pure green-wash !
There has been a world wide shortage of sugar and as a result of which prices of this commodity have shot up considerably in the past, putting sugar out of reach of many millions of poor living in Asian countries. Yet there are companies willing to divert precious food resources to make plastics, when plastics can be made very economically from naphtha; a by-product of crude oil refining.
Similarly, there are many MN C's who are using Bio-plastics packaging made from corn, another staple food, thereby inducing shortages and price increase !
In fact, a couple of LCA studies have shown Bio-plastics have a very adverse impact on environment.
It does not make environment,economical or social sense to use food for plastics. It is becoming "fashionable" to project a green image at the cost of environment and society.
I hope better sense prevails amongst CEO s and people responsible for CSR in these companies.
Shakul Rai, Dubai
Sugarcane plastics are manufactured using the agricultural waste that's left over after harvesting, which would otherwise be destroyed were it not repurposed, and sugarcane crops are not planted exclusively for this purpose. Corn-based plastics are made using animal grade feed not suitable for human consumption, although corn production in general is extremely resource intensive and tremendously harmful to the natural environment.
You're right about adverse impacts on the environment, however. It really doesn't make much sense to switch from plastic resins made in the U.S. to plant-based resins when the plant-based materials are imported from China and the end product can't even be disposed of properly. Many companies are taking advantage of this cultural cognitive dissonance and calling their plant-based products more green than conventional plastics, but I personally think that consumers are partially responsible for buying into this trend.
Yes, I can not agree more with this point. Companies sometimes, employ dozens of marketing people, sitting their beautiful , 25 deg.c for 365 days' office, think about some fancy ways to project their products or the image of the company. sometimes, some of these ways are just garbage, useless, and harmful to environment, just like what said"green-technology". before technonolgy rush into market, we should think about the basic need of human being in this world: food.
As a small business owner who makes skin care products, I am wanting to cut out the petro-based plastics in my business model. One way to accomplish this is by producing plastic packaging made from Hemp and/or soy and/or flax. None of these sources would affect the food supply. I'm having trouble finding a packaging company who is making plastics from these plants, however...
padrisimo
very intresting, actually i work for a company specialized in food industry and i was wondering whether anyone have a name of a supplier of such type of plastic? because nowadays you know! it's hard to compete unless you have something new to present and mainly you show great intrest in environment
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