To fulfil its environmental commitments in keeping with the Paris Settlement and contribute to combating in opposition to plastic air pollution, the Pierre Fabre Group has been implementing a technique primarily based on steady enchancment and learning all obtainable options: lowered packaging (leaflets, circumstances, weight, and so on), recycled supplies, and recyclable packaging.
“We’ve got arrange the Inexperienced Influence Index instrument, which aggregates all the standards to be labored on right into a single rating. This fashion, we will assess the extent of ecodesign of our merchandise, specifically packaging, and measure the effectiveness of our actions. Now that each one these initiatives have been put in place, now we have achieved a considerably lowered environmental influence, together with carbon-wise, however that isn’t sufficient, particularly because the market is rising and we have to take in this development. Consequently, we’re creating particular initiatives to go additional than the relatively normal levers we use at this time. We intention for breakthroughs,” says Franck Legendre, Packaging, Innovation & Sustainability Director at Pierre Fabre Group.
These initiatives embody the implementation of a deposit system as a part of a coalition, which can make it attainable to reuse the packs returned to factors of sale by customers, in addition to the Pharma Recharge initiative, arrange inside a consortium a number of months in the past.
“Prospects can fill their glass bottles from a formulation dispenser in pharmacies. This reduces the necessity for packaging, and we are literally within the technique of extending this experiment, as a result of it has been effectively obtained. But, one resolution isn’t sufficient, so we’re a number of choices,” he provides.
Lastly, new initiatives additionally embody analysis into new supplies: two are presently being thought-about. The primary one, Pulp in Motion, is targeted on cellulose fibre: it was arrange by a consortium gathering a number of cosmetics firms. The second, Inexperienced Bioplastics, is opening up nice prospects via using microalgae.
Microalgae biofactories
The challenge was arrange in collaboration with PhD Stéphane Lemaire, a microalgae specialist at Sorbonne College, underneath the path of Katia Ravard, a biotechnology engineer and the Head of Transversal Tasks and Biomimicry at Pierre Fabre. This analysis work revealed the ability of microalgae to supply bioplastics.
“It’s primarily based on photosynthesis. The microalgae captures carbon from the environment and instantly converts it into bioplastic utilizing pure mild. We’re additionally contemplating organising a pilot take a look at to seize crops’ carbon emissions, which might be much more fascinating when it comes to decarbonisation”, says Katia Ravard.
Substantiated by the work of Mariette Gibier, recruited as a PhD scholar on this topic by Pierre Fabre, the challenge was awarded the first Prix des Trophées for Local weather & Biodiversity organised by Maud Fontenoy’s Basis, within the Ocean and Innovation class.
“Mariette Gibier’s work goals to learn how to enhance the yield of those microalgae to make them an industrial actuality. Sorbonne College is already on monitor to arrange biofoundries primarily based on microalgae,” she provides.
This uncooked materials might be used to design biosourced and biodegradable flasks.
“We count on the fabric to fulfill the wants of packaging, i.e. power, formulation safety, and compatibility, however we additionally need all transformation processes to be virtuous, in addition to the end-of-life. Biodegradability is an fascinating choice,” confirms Franck Legendre.
Analysis work is underway for numerous parameters and Pierre Fabre expects the primary industrial batches as early as 2030.
“We’re within the stage of microalgae choice, so we’re learning the fabric they generate to decide on the one that can supply one of the best manufacturing. We additionally optimise the tradition with totally different parameters: mild, temperature, and CO2 focus. The highway is lengthy, however the preliminary outcomes are very encouraging,” concludes the Director.
