Plastic industry and cosmetics, "the essential solidarity"

Jean-Yves Bourgeois

8 February 2010

For the first time, on February 4, 2010, French professionals in the plastic and cosmetic industry, have jointly organized in Lyon, a day dedicated to exchanges and information to "talk about their particularity and constraints, understand one another, create contacts and consider joint projects."

A day dedicated to exchanges

Several speeches were held alternately between the two professions during the one day event organized by the Centre de Formation de la Plasturgie (Training Center of the Plastic industry) et du Centre Européen de Dermocosmétologie (European Center of Dermocosmetology).

Among the addressed topics: cosmetics and their formulation, plastics and packaging, interaction between content and container, the value of packaging and innovations, design and new features offered by packaging. A roundtable was also organized between several players in sustainable development concerning issues on eco-design, biodegradability, recycling and regulations. Icing on the cake, demonstration workshops and products from the cosmetology and plastic industry were also displayed to attendees.

Formulate common answers

According to Gérard Goujon, CEO of PRP Création and President of Allizé-Plasturgie Rhône-Alpes, "This one day event is definitely a starting point for greater cooperation between these two trades and it should enable them not only to change the plain supplier/customer relationship, but also suggest together new means to explore and share experiences. The first question to ask is truly, what can we achieve together? We must exchange, find, suggest, think. We must also be united to defend ourselves together, suggest together, create together, be involved with a real right to vote on our future."

According to Dominique Bouvier, CEO of Strand Cosmetics Europe and President of the European Center of Dermocosmetology, the purpose of such a dialogue is also to find answers: "facing regulations, groundless concerns on the safety of our products, the trend on organic and sustainable development, the power of brand owners, media campaigns harmful to the industry, changing attitudes, consumer habits, globalization, players in the plastic and cosmetic industry have no other choice than talk, exchange, share!"

"The end customer is the same: the consumer. The decision makers are the same: brand owners, who expect from us industrial cleverness, practical ingenuity, solutions, innovation. Let’s remove barriers and start inter-trade cooperation based on mutual respect, sharing of values, information, equity of contributions, transparency," she adds.