Sabic announced that Beiersdorf will be using Sabic’s certified renewable polymers in the packaging of its ‘Nivea Naturally Good’ range of face creams. Sabic’s bio-based polypropylene (PP) resin, part of its TRUCIRCLE portfolio, will be used for producing the jars of Nivea Naturally Good day and night face creams. The new packaging will be phased in at point-of-sale outlets worldwide from June 2021 onwards and contribute to a reduction in the use of fossil-based virgin PP by Beiersdorf.
The new product is playing into the company’s ambitious Sustainable Packaging Targets 2025 to reduce fossil-based, virgin plastic for its cosmetic packaging products by 50 percent. The new sustainable jars pay into the Sustainability Agenda Care Beyond Skin, by which the company is targeting a significant reduction of its carbon emissions and environmental footprint, as per the statement.
The agenda has set three major packaging goals to be achieved by 2025 as compared to 2019: make all of the group’s packaging 100 percent refillable, reusable or recyclable; increase the share of recycled materials in plastic packaging to 30 percent; and reduce the use of fossil-based virgin plastics by 50 percent.
“We are excited to implement this important change in the packaging of our Nivea brand products and to be the first in the skincare mass market to use polypropylene made from second-generation bio-based feedstock on a global basis,” said Michael Becker, Head of Global Packaging Development at Beiersdorf. “Together with Sabic, we have taken a major step forward in transforming conventional fossil-based packaging in the cosmetics and skin care segment towards fully sustainable material alternatives.”
Abdullah Al-Otaibi, General Manager of Engineering Thermoplastics & Market Solutions for Petrochemicals at Sabic, said, “Innovative cosmetics packaging using our certified renewable polyolefins can be instrumental in minimizing fossil depletion across a wide range of further consumer mass product markets, and Beiersdorf’s new NIVEA packaging can serve as a role model in this quest.
"Our materials from renewable sources facilitate the change-over from existing fossil-based applications without compromises on purity, quality, safety or convenience. Sabic is determined to help its collaboration partners benefit from this potential.”
Converting the packaging to renewable plastic also reduces CO2 emissions. According to Beiersdorf, approximately 76g of CO2 are saved per jar produced, a reduction of around 60 percent compared to the fossil-based jar. The project therefore contributes to the company’s climate target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent absolutely across the entire value chain by 2025.