Finalist De Gouden Noot 2024 Post consumer rHDPE 100% in contact sensitive packaging

Post consumer rHDPE 100% in contact sensitive packaging by Morssinkhof Plastics and Beiersdorf

The Nivea sun lotion bottles are fully made out of post-consumer recycled plastics.

Applying recyclates in new bottle applications is not new in itself as it is already applied for multiple years in bottles to pack shampoos and (liquid) washing detergents, even up to using 100% recyclate in many cases. This innovation is totally new as post-consumer plastic material is now used as new Frontend packaging material in contact sensitive applications, classified as 'leave-on' cosmetics.

A sun lotion is classified as a 'leave-on' cosmetic product because it has a longer exposure time on the skin of a human body. Therewith the safety requirements for applying post-consumer plastics are very critical and in the past only 'food grade' plastics were accepted from a safety perspective. In cosmetics applications, it is challenging to apply PCR packaging because of the potential migration of contaminations from PCR to cosmetic formula and the colour sensitivity of the packs. Based on a strong partnership between brand owner Nivea and recycler Morssinkhof, a quality of recyclate is achieved that is suitable for such highly sensitive applications.

Summarizing, this is one of the first business cases in which rHDPE from post-consumer sources is fully substituting fossil based food grade plastics in a leave-on application.

Registrants: Morssinkhof Plastics, Beiersdorf AG, Beiersdorf Nederland

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