Sustainability strategy
Procter & Gamble (P&G) has made another step forward onits way to sustainability. It is no longer about evaluating its suppliers’ performance, but to operate a dramatic transformation to one of its best-selling products.
Indeed, the giant US maker of consumer goods just announced it has started producing new bottles made primarily from plant-based plastic for shampoos and conditioners of the Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion line. The new bottles will be initially launching in Western Europe with expansion plans to the rest of the world over the next two years.
This innovative material is made from sugarcane, a natural and renewable resource, as opposed to traditional plastic which is made from petroleum. According to P&G, sugarcane-derived plastic has significant environmental benefits: compared to traditional petroleum-based plastic it allows reducing fossil fuels consumption by more than 70% and releases over 170% less greenhouse gases.
P&G’s goal is to replace 25% of petroleum-based materials with sustainably sourced renewable materials by 2020. The group’s long-term vision is to use 100% renewable or recycled materials on all of its products.
Western European markets first
The new Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion sugarcane-based packaging will become available across several Western European markets over the summer and autumn.
According tout P&G it should be a seamless transition for consumers as the formulas will remain unchanged and the new bottle has virtually identical characteristics to its predecessor and it is as recyclable as before.
"The use of sugarcane-based plastic in our Nature Fusion packaging allows us to offer the same performance consumers expect from Pantene but in a more sustainable way," says Hanneke Faber, P&G’s Vice President & Brand Franchise Leader for Global Pantene.
