South Korean chemical and life science products manufacturer SK chemicals announced today an agreement with global prestige beauty company Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) to supply recycled and recyclable materials to be incorporated into ELC’s packaging.
ELC, whose brands include Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Clinique, and La Mer, announced a series of sustainable packaging goals in 2021, including a target to reach 25% PCR in its packaging by 2025, and to reduce the use of virgin petroleum plastic in its packaging to 50% or less by 2030.
SK chemicals utilizes advanced recycling technology that chemically decomposes waste plastic into monomers, the raw materials for plastic. Under the new agreement, ELC will develop packaging that uses materials supplied by SK chemicals, including ECOTRIA CR and SKYPET CR, which incorporate advanced recycled materials, and ECOZEN CLARO, which can be incorporated into a recycle stream.
SK chemicals and ELC will gradually increase the amount of recycled materials in their products and replace other non-recyclable materials, with designs that incorporate recyclable or recycled materials, helping to move ELC’s packaging sustainability goals forward.
Ahn Jae-hyun, CEO of SK chemicals, said:
“Through this agreement, we believe positive synergies can be created in both business and environmental aspects as SK chemicals, leading the circular recycling plastic technology, partners with The Estée Lauder Companies, leading the global cosmetics market. We will continue to work harder to create a sustainable cosmetics container ecosystem.”
Susan Lahey
Susan Lahey started her career as a business reporter for The Kansas City Star and has worked as a freelancer covering business, investment, technology, sustainability and science for numerous publications. She has also worked as a writer and editor for publicly funded projects mandating environmental cleanup of a molybdenum mine in Northern New Mexico; and recovery and resiliency measures following Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Recently she worked as Director of Communications for a European wave energy company.