Achieving ‘greenness’ and performance

More and more people are shopping in organic supermarkets or whole food stores, wearing organic clothes, using natural cosmetics, and driving fuel-efficient cars. These are not just product choices; they are statements about how consumers want to live their lives. According to Organic Monitor, global sales of natural and organic cosmetics are increasing by over one billion US dollars a year. For manufacturers aiming to develop products to serve this global trend, natural and renewable raw materials are key factors to business success. Yet, a key challenge in the personal care market is to make products “greener” without compromising on convenience or product performance.

Set of guidelines

As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability and innovation, Cognis has adopted a set of guidelines that combine the internationally recognised 12 Principles of Green Chemistry (as formulated by P.T. Anastas and J.C. Warner, 1998) and the 12 Principles of Green Engineering (as formulated by P.T. Anastas and J.B. Zimmerman, 2003) (Table 1). By doing so, the company is both optimising its environmental footprint and putting in place a clear framework for the development of high performance, natural-source products aimed at the growth markets of wellness and sustainability. The company uses measurable criteria and clearly defined methods to ensure compliance with the 24 principles focused on sustainability. Central to these efforts are, for example, lifecycle assessments (LCAs), which provide a breakdown of the total environmental impact of a product, taking into account its manufacture and use. Based on this information, new production processes can be modified and new specific raw materials can be selected: a new product generation with improved carbon footprint is born. However, the challenge for personal care manufacturers involves the ability to increase the level of “green” ingredients in formulations without compromising performance. Making the formulation “greener” often means reduced performance. Therefore, not only must manufacturers ask “How far down the ‘green’ road are we willing to go?” but also “How far down the ‘green’ road are we really able to go?”