Beauty & Healthcare
Beauty & Healthcare Performance of PHA in Cosmetics and Personal Mirel - New Care Packaging after 1 month after 3 months after 5 months Even amid the global recession, research indicates that consumers will continue to purchase green products. A new study by A. T. Kearney, a global management consulting firm, reports that green products and the associated brands may emerge from this economic crisis even stronger. This suggests that brand owners whose business approach emphasizes sustainability can build strong customer loyalty. In order to maintain these customers, companies must be accountable for their environmental commitments today and in the future. Eco-conscious or LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) consumers actively seek out environmentally responsible products that have minimal impact on the environment. LOHAS is described as an estimated 9 billion U.S. marketplace for goods and services focused on health, environment, social justice, personal development and sustainable living. The Natural Marketing Institute reports that over two-thirds of LOHAS consumers will preferentially buy products from companies with a reputation for environmental responsibility. This indicates that environmentally conscious consumers are willing to pay more for such products. The global market for natural cosmetics and personal care products is growing at a double digit rate. Creative brand owners are looking to capitalize on this trend by adding eco-friendly products or line extensions to increase market share. Innovative packaging solutions are gaining attention as a way for brands to differentiate their products on crowded retail shelves. Industry leaders are also looking at bioplastic materials as product and packaging solutions to help them comply with corporate sustainability goals and bolster the brand’s environmental story. From compact and lipstick cases to caps and jars, bioplastics are gaining traction in this style-conscious and now eco-conscious industry. PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) is a bioplastic material suitable for cosmetics and personal care packaging. Mirel bioplastics are a family of PHA resins that are engineered for performance. Mirel resins have the physical properties of petroleum based resins including durability, toughness, gloss, consistent processing in multicavity tooling, and are resistant to both high heat and moisture. 14 bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/09] Vol. 4
Beauty & Healthcare The Mirel base resin is home compostable and will biodegrade in ambient conditions such as soil and aquatic environments; distinctively different from a majority of bioplastics which typically require industrial composting and conventional plastics that will not biodegrade under any condition. Mirel resins are certified as biodegradable under Vinçotte natural soil and water environmental conditions, meet ASTM D6400 and EN 13432 standards for compostable plastics, and the ASTM D7081 standard for non-floating biodegradable plastics in the marine environment. Commercial grades are available for injection molding, cast and blown film, extruded sheet and thermoforming. Mirel P1003 is specifically engineered for high modulus injection molding applications such as cosmetics and personal care packaging. www.mirelplastics.com Article contributed by Kristin Taylor, Business Development Manager and Debra Darby, Director Marketing Communications Telles, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA Mirel cosmetics case www.teamburg.de Call for papers Contact: mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com within the Supporting Programme of 2 nd PLA Bottle Conference 14-16 September 2009 Munich, Germany | Holiday Inn City Centre The PLA Bottle Conference will cover subjects such as: • • • • • • • • Latest developments Market overview Raw material availability Preform and bottle making High temperature behaviour Barrier issues Additives / Colorants Labels, caps End of life options (recycling, composting, incineration etc) • ... and much more ! Stay updated at www.pla-bottle-conference.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/09] Vol. 4 15
