Sugar is sweet and everything is nice for The Procter & Gamble Co. as the global consumer products manufacturer recently announced plans to use sugarcane-derived plastic on select packages for its Pantene Pro-V, Covergirl and Max Factor brands.



P&G will source its plastic from Brazilian petrochemical company Braskem SA, which produces 200,000 tons-per-year of biobased ethylene from sustainably-grown Brazilian sugarcane ethanol at its plant in Triunfo, Brazil. Braskem began production in late September and touts the facility as an emerging premier global supplier of biobased polyethylene. Ethylene is the building block of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic.



P&G intends to pilot launch its biopackaging over the next two years, with the first products hitting shelves in 2011. By launching the renewable packaging for some of its global beauty brands, P&G will leverage its established scale to deliver meaningful environmental improvements. According to P&G, the use of biobased polyethylene plastic in place of petroleum-derived material is a significant step towards its sustainability objective, says Jenny Rushmore, global sustainability leader for P&G’s beauty and grooming external relations division.



“P&G has a long history of commitment to sustainability, and our pilot of sugarcane-derived packaging is part of our journey to that commitment,” Rushmore tells Biorefining. She says the company expects launch of its new packaging to be well-received by its customers without trade-offs in performance or quality compared to its petrochemical counterparts.



 “From our research with consumers around the world, 70 percent told us that they want more environmentally friendly products, but without having to sacrifice on performance or pay more,” Rushmore says. “Launching products such as this new sugarcane-derived packaging helps meet their needs, as the plastic looks, feels and behaves exactly like traditional plastic, but is made from a renewable resource.”



As to whether P&G intends to integrate nonfood-based alternatives into future packaging on select brands, Rushmore says the company is always on the lookout for such routes. “We have a team of packaging experts who are constantly looking at a variety of more sustainable alternatives to traditional petroleum,” she says.