What plastics can be recycled?
Most plastics that Garnier uses in our packaging today are PET (Polyethylene Terephtalate), PP (Polypropylene) and PE (Polyethylene). These materials can be recycled and reused several times, and are the most commonly recycled plastic materials in the world.
PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) plastics are recycled from plastic waste derived from consumer products. Garnier has committed to using 100% PCR plastics or bio-sourced plastics by 2025.
Garnier believes it’s our responsibility to raise awareness of what parts of our products can be recycled. We are developing videos and tutorials on different types of plastic and diverse recycling streams.
How does Garnier reduce plastic?
We have based our strategy going forward for achieving eco-designed packaging on 4 pillars: using recycled materials, redesigning and innovating, reusing and recycling.
- Innovations
Some of our plastic-reducing innovations that we are most excited about are launching in 2020. UltraDoux solid shampoo, the ultimate “zero plastic” solution, has packaging made of 100% FSC-certified cardboard. The Ultra-Doux Ecopack reduces the quantity of plastic used for our shampoos by 80%. And Garnier Bio Hemp Moisturizer comes in a cardboard based tube.
- Existing Products
Our goal is to lighten the plastic used in packaging and replace it with recyclable or recycled plastic instead of using virgin plastic. For this, we need a large, preferably local, source for Post-Consumer Recycled Plastics and other sustainable materials. Working in close partnership with our packaging suppliers and plastic manufacturers, we are developing robust sources of supply for PCR, aiming to reach 100% by 2025.
- Payoff
In 2019, our use of recycled plastic saved 3670 tons of virgin plastic. By the end of 2020, all Fructis plastic bottles will be made of 100% recycled plastic in Europe and the US. Using recycled plastic will save 7000 tons of virgin plastic overall in 2020. By 2025 all of our products will be made with zero virgin plastic, and all of our packaging will be recyclable, reusable or compostable, saving 37,000 tons of virgin plastic per year.
- Community
We are partnering with the NGO Plastics for Change and will recycle tons of plastic and provide waste pickers with a stable income and access to social services in India. We also feel it’s our responsibility to encourage our consumers to recycle. In this way, we will reduce the leakage of plastic into the environment.
How do we recycle plastic?
Recyclable plastic is collected, cleaned and sorted by plastic type. It is then shredded, washed, melted and reformed into pellets, or granulate. This granulated plastic is used to make new packaging.
The L'Oréal Group created a consortium with CARBIOS to develop biotechnology in recycling.* Garnier will leverage the outcome of this process when designing new packaging, helping to promote a circular economy.
*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 plastic with a similar performance to virgin plastic, without losing any value through the recycling process.
How to reuse the packaging?
Garnier commits to promoting reusable or refillable systems, piloting new partnerships and models. We partnered with LoopTM (in France) to build innovative circular shopping platforms that replace single-use disposable packaging with long-term reusable plastic packaging.
What is virgin plastic?
Virgin plastic is newly manufactured plastic that has never been used in a product or processed before. Recycling plants take virgin plastic thrown away by consumers and use it as their raw material.
Garnier aims to save 37,000 tons of virgin plastic per year. We are reinventing our packaging so it will be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. By then, all our products will be made with zero virgin plastic, using instead 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics or bio-sourced plastics.
How does Garnier reduce the weight of their packaging?
Garnier commits to reduce the weight and size of packaging by redesigning caps and plastic bottles, reducing the size of sachets, and removing liners from sachets. We are also innovating towards new, plastic-free packaging and seeking new alternatives to replace single-use formats.
By lightweigting our plastic packaging, we saved more than 592 tons of virgin plastic in 2019. We will continue to lighten our plastic packaging, reaching 858 tons of plastic saved in 2020.