Origins will be the first prestige beauty brand to leverage SABIC’s innovative, advanced recycling technology to produce a tube pack format made from previously difficult to recycle, post-consumer mixed plastics material.
Indeed, by 2021, Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask, Origins’ global best-selling mask, will be packaged in a tube made by Albéa and composed of a polymer resin produced using SABIC’s polyethylene and polypropylene recycling technology.
Advanced recycling
SABIC’s advanced recycling returns hard-to-recycle plastics, otherwise destined for incineration or landfill, back to their basic building blocks. Once the plastic has been broken down to its molecular state, it is then used to create high- performance plastics akin to a virgin material.
Based on this ground-breaking technology, which is capable of continually converting plastics back to the original polymer, SABIC has developed a certified [1] circular polymer, part of its TRUCIRCLE portfolio of circular solutions.
“This breakthrough with Origins, The Estée Lauder Companies and SABIC is an industry-first, paving the way for the use of advanced recycled, post-consumer waste into prestige beauty packaging thanks to an innovative source of high-quality resins. This co-development also highlights the importance of partnership and audacity across the value chain, which is crucial for accelerating the transition to recyclable and reusable packaging,” explains Stephane Barlet, VP of Sales, Albéa Americas.
Sustainability goals
In accordance with ELC’s sustainable packaging goals, which includes increasing the amount of post-consumer recycled (PCR) material in its packaging, the strategic partnership will reinforce Origins efforts to ensure that at least 80% of its packaging by weight is recyclable, refillable, reusable, recycled or recoverable packaging by 2023.
“Exploring the uses of advanced recycled PCR has incredible potential to help drive the achievement of our sustainable packaging goals, and we are excited to bring this product to market,” said Sushil Iyer, Vice President, Global Packaging, The Estée Lauder Companies.
