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CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble Co.’s Pantene hair care brand has begun producing new shampoo and conditioner bottles made primarily from plant-based plastic.
P&G said Tuesday that the innovative material, which the company called a first for the hair care industry, is made from sugarcane and will be featured on the Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion collection.
Plans call for the new Patene bottles to be launched in Western Europe this summer and fall and then to be rolled out to the rest of the world over the next two years. P&G noted that the packaging transition will be seamless transition for consumers, since the formulas will remain unchanged, the new bottle has virtually identical characteristics to its predecessor and the container as recyclable as before. The Nature Fusion collection was launched in 2009 and is sold in all major markets worldwide.
According to P&G, the new packaging contains plastic derived from sugarcane, a natural and renewable resource, as opposed to traditional plastic which is made from petroleum, a nonrenewable material. The company added that sugarcane-derived plastic brings key environmental benefits, since it consumes over 70% less fossil fuels and releases over 170% less greenhouse gases per ton than traditional petroleum-based plastic.
"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," commented Hanneke Faber, P&G vice president and brand franchise leader for global Pantene. "We’re thrilled to be the first hair care brand to use this technology on its packaging."
By using renewable resources, Pantene is supporting P&G’s objective to replace 25% of petroleum-based materials with sustainably sourced renewable materials by 2020. The consumer products giant’s long-term aim is to use 100% renewable or recycled materials on all of its products.
