Editor’s Note
This article highlights the growing imperative for cosmetic brands to adopt sustainable practices, from sourcing natural ingredients to developing recyclable packaging. The key challenge lies in ensuring full supply chain transparency while creating viable end-of-life solutions for packaging—a dual focus that will define the industry’s environmental credibility.
It is well known that sustainable beauty is becoming a mandatory course for cosmetic brands. For instance, recyclable packaging and natural ingredients, as seen with Japan’s Asahi KASEI, are becoming consumer demands.
The challenge for companies is to establish upstream traceability to ensure the transparency consumers demand while also developing packaging recycling solutions.
The cosmetics industry is acutely aware of the importance of reducing its ecological footprint. At the Cosmetic 360 exhibition, many companies highlighted significant progress in developing ecologically responsible products. Eco-friendly formulations, the use of recyclable packaging, and reducing plastic waste were focal points.
Some companies have adopted innovative approaches, such as using sustainable raw materials from organic farming or implementing energy-efficient production processes. Consequently, the cosmetics industry is actively working to minimize its impact on the planet while delivering quality products.
Japanese design BLUE PLASTICS-TRANSPARENT SUPPLY is a digital platform aimed at promoting the circular economy by using blockchain technology to trace the origin of recycled plastic materials. Project participants also include Toyama Environmental Improvement Company and Mobius Packaging.
Consumers can access blockchain data via a QR code on the packaging. This data confirms the proportion of recycled plastic used and provides detailed information about the recycling process.
IBM Traceability is a digital platform for brand owners, recycling companies, and packaging manufacturers to securely exchange and record data on the lifecycle of recycled plastics.
A provisional timeline for building and commissioning a new plant by 2027 is becoming clearer. The adopted production technology has been determined and will be based on the “direct route” process, fully integrating the production chain to minimize required inputs. Preliminary design will be completed in the summer of 2024, coinciding with the signing of the first financing for the plant. As part of the France 2030 plan, the first funds will include a portion of the €16.4 million provided by Bpifrance. Once finalized, detailed design will proceed to finalize preparations for plant construction, which will take place in France between 2025 and 2027.
As a player in industrial biology, Global Bioenergies will build the world’s first plant to convert plant-based raw materials on a large scale into isobutene derivatives with special high performance. In the cosmetics market, these products will be marketed under the Isonaturane™ brand, with applications ranging from cosmetics to skin care.
The plant will also begin producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), for which Global Bioenergies obtained ASTM certification for this market in June of this year. This initiative will pave the way for establishing several larger-scale plants. As part of this process, the group recently began discussions for a production unit of several tens of thousands of tons, dedicated to SAF production. This unit is planned for commissioning by 2030, coinciding with the European mandate to extend the use of 6% SAF for all flights departing from Europe.
The adoption of digital platforms based on blockchain technology is becoming one of the most effective methods for achieving traceability or proving commitments to consumers.
The latest COSMETIC 360 exhibition showed that the cosmetics industry is seeking to optimize its environmental impact and strengthen its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
From the supply chain to distribution, traceability of cosmetics is a major challenge. Consumers now demand complete transparency regarding ingredient sourcing, production methods, and working conditions.
Traceability is not only a mark of consumer confidence but is also crucial for meeting increasingly stringent regulatory standards and ensuring product quality. Cosmetic companies are heavily investing in building robust traceability systems to enhance public trust and combat challenges like counterfeiting.
One of the best ways for companies to achieve this traceability or prove their commitment to consumers is by using a digital platform based on blockchain.
AT BLOCKCHAIN has developed traceability and compliance solutions for cosmetic products. The platform enables cosmetic companies to monitor their supply chain in real-time, prove their marketing claims, comply with AGEC law requirements, strengthen their CSR policies, combat fraud or counterfeiting, demonstrate their ethical commitments, and thereby offer greater transparency to consumers, among other benefits.
Pump and fluid management solutions expert Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions (WMTFS) and global leader in precision instruments and services Mettler Toledo are providing a custom dosing solution for biotechnology products.
To meet these needs, Watson-Marlow developed a Flexicon (WMTFS) precision peristaltic pump, the PF7+. It complies with US FDA 21 CFR Part 11 requirements and is developed for critical sterile final filling applications. Its features include the ability to achieve zero-waste batches. The PF7+ can connect to a high-precision balance for dynamic recalibration via pump control. It enables rapid dosing even for manual filling, with accuracy meeting requirements.
The PF7+ Advanced Filling Kit includes a Mettler Toledo analytical balance with an air flow screen and an integrated adjustable nozzle holder.
Therefore, a custom filling solution was needed, along with a scale with greater capacity than initially proposed and without a windshield. Mettler Toledo’s New Classic series precision balances met this need.
Watson-Marlow and Mettler Toledo co-developed a custom Advanced Filling Kit, including a PF7+ pump and a compatible Mettler Toledo ML range scale. The scale, with a range of 10-2, was perfectly suited for the application.