L’Oréal and CARBIOS sign agreement to jointly found consortium for bio-recycling of plastic on in...
27.10.2017 - Sustainable Development
Paris, France, 27 October 2017 – (06:45 a.m. CEST) – CARBIOS (Euronext Growth Paris: ALCRB – ISIN:
FR0011648716), a pioneer in the field of bioplasturgy, and L’ORÉAL worldwide beauty industry leader,
are pleased to announce a new partnership regarding the sustainable management of plastic life cycle.
As part of their commitment to promoting the circular economy through innovative plastic recycling
solutions, L’ORÉAL and CARBIOS have signed an agreement to jointly found a five-year consortium to
bring the bio-recycling technology designed and developed by CARBIOS to market on an industrial
scale. The partnership is open to industries from other sectors looking to develop new plastic bio-
recycling solutions.
CARBIOS has developed an enzymatic bio-recycling process for plastics that breaks polymers down to
the basic components (monomers) originally used to create them. Once separated and purified, the
monomers can be used again to create virgin plastic, without losing any value through the recycling
process. This biological process is free of the constraints facing conventional recycling techniques and
is the first step to developing a new way of managing the plastic life cycle—in line with the circular
economy.
L’ORÉAL and the other manufacturers in the consortium will benefit from the development of this
CARBIOS innovation and will be first in line to receive the first available units. L’ORÉAL will use this new
technology during the design phase for new packaging, thereby promoting the circular economy.
L’ORÉAL Packaging & Development Vice-President Philippe THUVIEN underscores that, “L’ORÉAL has
been committed to an ambitious sustainable packaging programme for several years now. We
currently use up to 100% recycled plastic for several different products. We’ve decided to go even
further: with this innovative CARBIOS technology, L’ORÉAL is helping to make bio-recycling available
on an industrial scale. It’s a wonderful opportunity to protect the environment, and this consortium will
also help boost the circular economy.”
As CARBIOS CEO Jean-Claude LUMARET explains, “We are proud to have cofounded this consortium
with L’ORÉAL. Our enzyme technology provides a brand new solution for optimising the performance
and life cycle of plastics. L’ORÉAL’s commitment to sustainable development helps drive innovation,
and we are confident that other international companies will join the project in the coming months to
help us initiate a major transition in the way we produce the plastic materials of tomorrow.”
About L’ORÉAL:
L’ORÉAL has devoted itself to beauty for more than a hundred years. With its unique international portfolio of 34 diverse and complementary brands, the Group generated sales amounting to 25.8 billion euros in 2016 and employs 89,300 people worldwide. As the world’s leading beauty company, L’ORÉAL is present across all distribution networks: mass market, department stores, pharmacies and drugstores, hair salons, travel retail, branded retail and online retail. Research and Innovation, and a dedicated research team of 3,870 people, are at the core of L’Oréal’s strategy, working to meet beauty aspirations all over the world. Through the “Sharing Beauty with All” programme, L’ORÉAL sets out ambitious sustainable development goals for 2020 across the Group’s value chain.
About L’ORÉAL:
L’ORÉAL has devoted itself to beauty for more than a hundred years. With its unique international portfolio of 34 diverse and complementary brands, the Group generated sales amounting to 25.8 billion euros in 2016 and employs 89,300 people worldwide. As the world’s leading beauty company, L’ORÉAL is present across all distribution networks: mass market, department stores, pharmacies and drugstores, hair salons, travel retail, branded retail and online retail. Research and Innovation, and a dedicated research team of 3,870 people, are at the core of L’Oréal’s strategy, working to meet beauty aspirations all over the world. Through the “Sharing Beauty with All” programme, L’ORÉAL sets out ambitious sustainable development goals for 2020 across the Group’s value chain.