Mariette Gibier, a Cifre doctoral student at Pierre Fabre Laboratories, won 1st prize in the Ocean & Innovation category of the Climate & Biodiversity trophies organized by the Maud Fontenoy Foundation in partnership with the Forvia Foundation, for her "Green Bioplastics" project carried out in collaboration with the R&D and Packaging teams at Pierre Fabre Laboratories and the biofoundry at Alliance Sorbonne Université.
The idea behind the project is to use microalgae capable of capturing CO2 to transform it into bioplastic, a biosourced and biodegradable material that could be used to manufacture future packaging for Pierre Fabre Laboratories' dermo-cosmetic products.
"This award is both recognition and motivation to continue on our demanding environmental trajectory. We are at the beginning of this very promising Green Bioplastics project, and we are convinced that the use of materials derived from living organisms, produced by microorganisms, is a promising avenue thanks to its low carbon impact and biodegradability. This project illustrates our desire to rethink packaging for a more sustainable future.says Franck Legendre, Director of Packaging Innovation and Sustainable Development.
Eco-design and biodegradability are among the main concerns of Pierre Fabre Laboratories. The company's aim is to see more than 70 % dermo-cosmetic products rated A or B on the Green Impact Index*. To achieve this, its R&D teams are exploring several avenues.
Beyond bioplastics, research into new materials is one of them. As part of the Pulp in Action Consortium, Pierre Fabre Laboratories are working on a packaging solution based on cellulose fibers. This solution, which can be deployed on an industrial scale, will meet the requirements of cosmetic products in terms of quality of use, barrier properties and formula preservation (restitution rate, water resistance, formula stability, etc.).
The marketing of dermo-cosmetic products in refill form - currently representing between 15 and 40 % of sales depending on the references purchased - is another initiative by Laboratoires Pierre Fabre, which also makes refillable dermo-cosmetic products available in pharmacies through the Pharma Recharge Consortium.
Participation in a pilot project to set up a deposit system for cosmetics, with 10 other players in this sector, supported by the firm Circul'R, is another mode of action.
Laboratoires Pierre Fabre's Green Bioplastics project was presented alongside five other innovations inspired by the strategies of nature and the living world at the Biomim'Expo trade show held at the Parc Floral de Paris on June 11 and 12, 2024.
* The Green Impact Index is a tool for displaying the environmental and societal impact of cosmetics, dietary supplements and family health and well-being products, based on the methodology described in Afnor Spec 2215. Developed in collaboration with 21 companies, associations and federations, it assesses products on more than 50 criteria.
Photo: ©Juliette-Dupuis-Carle
