CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
The ocean’s value has been estimated as high as $24 trillion, yet despite its inherent connections to the health and well-being of wildlife, humans, and the global economy, it continues to be overexploited and polluted. Scientists have estimated that a minimum of 5.25 trillion plastic particles are in the oceans, and some studies suggest that these contaminants can make their way all the way up the food chain.
PRESS RELEASE -
Multi-billion dollar personal care products firm Kimberly-Clark is hoping to change the approach and impact of private sector initiatives in the sanitation space. Instead of building toilets, it has taken up refurbishing and rebuilding work on existing not-in-use toilets.
The initiative, in partnership with not-for-profit Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) India, was launched on 28 April at a primary school in the Chandanhola area of Delhi.
Called ‘Toilets Change Lives’, the initiative is part of the company’s global sanitation drive. In India, it covers 100 schools across five states—Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal and Maharashtra.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Over 125 cosmetics and personal care products from 14 brands have earned the Environmental Working Group (EWG)’s new verification. The EWG VERIFIED™ program aims to help customers quickly and easily identify products that meet strict ingredient standards and are “produced with the best manufacturing practices.”
The program was announced in October and has quickly grown to include cosmetics such as foundations, blushes, eye shadows, eye liners, lipsticks and lip glosses; skin care products including cleansers and moisturizers; shampoos, soaps and deodorants; and more.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
To mark its 40th anniversary, The Body Shop has unveiled a pioneering global CSR strategy that will underpin all aspects of company operation. The new commitment will reaffirm the global cosmetics brand’s positioning as a leader in ethical business and will define its next stage of development.
The commitment, entitled Enrich Not Exploit™ - which will support The Body Shop in its aim to be the world’s most ethical and sustainable global business - is an extensive program of global activity and measurable 2020 targets that touches all areas of the business.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
A report released Thursday by national women’s health non-profit Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) exposes the failings of the fragrance industry’s self-regulated safety program.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Environmental health non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) has launched its new verification program to help consumers quickly and easily identify consumer goods that do not contain toxic ingredients. The EWG VERIFIED: For Your Health™ mark will appear on personal care products and cosmetics that meet criteria set by EWG scientists.
COLLABORATION -
A remote village in Kenya could have access to 15 million gallons of clean water by the end of the year — funded by Unilever shampoo, deodorant and body wash sales at Walgreens.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Seventh Generation, which makes eco-friendly household and personal care products, on Monday launched a new line of laundry and dishwasher detergents designed to save consumers energy and money, while also helping to protect and care for the environment.Each product in the so-called “Energy Smart” line is formulated with advanced enzyme technology to give the same performance in cold and hot or warm water. This allows consumers to clean dirty dishes and clothes effectively, the company says, all while using low energy settings on their washing machines and dishwashers.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
TerraVerdae BioWorks, an industrial biotechnology company developing advanced bioplastics and environmentally sustainable biomaterials, announced Monday that it has successfully achieved key milestones for the commercial production for its line of Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)-based biomaterials. These include 10,000-liter production runs of its line of biodegradable, natural microspheres for use in personal care and cosmetic products.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
As part of L’Oréal’s global sustainability program called Sharing Beauty With All, the company has pledged that by the year 2020, 100 percent of its products will have an environmental or social benefit.
To help make that commitment a reality, L’Oréal is calling on its employees, at every level and across every function, to contribute their own innovative solutions. The L’Oréal Beauty Shaker Awards is the company’s annual internal innovation competition, and in 2014 — the program’s fifth year — sustainability was the name of the game.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
In an effort to expand the transparency of its products, SC Johnson announced this week that it will disclose product-specific ingredients of its fragrances, beginning with Glade®. Other SC Johnson brands including Pledge®, Windex®, Shout® and Scrubbing Bubbles® will follow. Consumers will be able to access fragrance information on WhatsInsideSCJohnson.com or by calling 800-558-5252. Ingredient information is available down to .09 percent of the product formula, or the top 10 ingredients when there are at least 20 ingredients – whichever provides the most information.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
On Tuesday evening, I had a chance to speak with Dr. Angela Griffiths, Director of the UL Environment Advisory Services group in the Activation Hub at SB ’15 San Diego. She shared with me the newest research and recommended best practices for assessing product health risks associated with chemical content.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Every day seems to bring new uses for 3D printing – earlier this week, NASA announced a competition to design 3D printing settlements for deep space. Now, L’Oréal has revealed plans to 3D print human skin.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Just one year after the launch of its ambitious Sharing Beauty with All program for sustainable development, cosmetics giant the L'Oréal Group has today revealed significant improvements in the first progress reportof its efforts:
MARKETING AND COMMS -
The controversial Free Trade Agreement (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) being negotiated by the EU and the US gives the green light for the sale of over a thousand American cosmetics in Europe, the marketing of which is actually banned in the EU.If nothing else, this should remind us of the importance of knowing what we’re buying: Ingredients such as parabens, mineral oils and other petroleum derivatives, silicones, SLS, SLES, ethanolamines, PEGs, perfumes and synthetic dyes are, in fact, toxic components used in cosmetics and industrial hygiene products.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Walmart, Target and Forum for the Future (FFTF) have established three working groups to take forward actions agreed at last year’s beauty and personal care (BPC) product sustainability summit, according to ChemicalWatch. The groups will focus on aspects of chemicals in products.Working Group 1 — Supply Chain Information Sharing
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
L’Oréal Americas and Avery Dennison have joined forces to identify and reduce the environmental impacts of packaging labels throughout the entire label lifecycle.The collaboration has already produced a comprehensive Avery Dennison Greenprint™ assessment showing how thinner label materials can reduce environmental impacts. Avery Dennison Greenprint, a screening lifecycle tool launched in 2010, is the first of its kind in the label industry.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Late last month, global cosmetics giant Revlon announced it will remove some long-chain parabens and formaldehyde-releasing chemicals from its products, in response to a petition circulated last year by the non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) that to date has rallied support from over 109,000 consumers.Long-chain parabens can act as estrogens and have been linked to endocrine disruption. Formaldehyde is a potent allergen that has been classified as a carcinogen.EWG executive director Heather White called the move a step in the right direction.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
A team of researchers from Purdue University's Center for Direct Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels (C3Bio) has developed a new catalytic process that converts biomass waste into chemical products that can be used in fragrances, flavorings or to create high-octane fuel for racecars and jets, Phys.org reports.The process uses a chemical catalyst and heat to spur reactions that convert lignin—a durable and complex molecule that gives the plant cell wall its rigid structure—into valuable chemical commodities.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
The states of Washington and California are breaking new ground by providing consumers with information on potentially harmful chemicals in the products they buy and use on a daily basis. Washington’s focus is on products meant for children; California’s law spotlights cosmetics.