Eastman is proud to have collaborated with cosmetics house Groupe Rocher on the design of a new “ecodesign compact” concept made entirely of Eastman materials. The compact features Eastman Trēva™ engineering bioplastic, a cellulose based thermoplastic that offers both high performance and reduced environmental impact.
Groupe Rocher, a worldwide company with more than 600 million cosmetics and home care products produced each year, continues to live out the values of founder Yves Rocher, a pioneer in the use of plant-based ingredients. “The Groupe Rocher is a pioneering family-run group which has striven since its creation for the respect of nature and used sustainable development as a lever of value creation,”says Bris Rocher, president and CEO. With this collaboration, it has achieved a completely new ecodesigned cosmetics case packaging concept.
Ecodesign is an approach to the design of products that considers the environmental footprint throughout the entire product life cycle. The process is inspired by life cycles in nature, with the goal of creating zero waste. Success with ecodesign requires an integrated approach, with experts throughout the value chain all working together.
Collaboration has been key to the success of this innovative ecodesigned compact. Eastman and Groupe Rocher identified a shared desire to grow and innovate in the cosmetics packaging space. Groupe Rocher shared its concept for an “ecodesign compact case,” simplifying processing into a single step instead of the typical three-step process. The design also eliminates the metal hinge pins and uses plastic pins instead. “By eliminating metal and using fewer materials in the design, Groupe Rocher has created a compact case that requires fewer natural resources to produce, using less energy and eliminating secondary processing steps without compromising the packaging functionality and aesthetic brand codes,” says Stéphane Tétaud, packaging makeup development. “This saves time and money during the manufacturing process and has the added benefit of taking a step toward recyclability.
”The project initiated a new way of working for Groupe Rocher that Tétaud calls “collaborative innovation.” He points to the important roles played by Eastman and Novatra SAS, who designed the mould for the compact, saying, “It is a very new concept and required a lot of time and multiple exchanges with all partners. Without such engaged partners the final product would not have been possible.”This project demonstrates how Eastman enables customer success by engaging all members of the value chain to innovate and find solutions to challenges. This collaborative new approach enabled Groupe Rocher, Eastman and its partners to accelerate the rate of innovation. According to Cedric Perben, global technology platform leader for cosmetics packaging, “Eastman is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in a material way. Working together, we were able to leverage world-class technology and Eastman’s material development capabilities, using Groupe Rocher’s game-changing ecodesign concept to create a winning combination.”
“Eastman participated in our sustainability journey. They embraced the Groupe Rocher value of progress and showed strong commitment to developing a new polymer platform and investing in the manufacturing of a proof-of-concept packaging,” says Sophie Marcou, ecodesign manager for Groupe Rocher. To document this, Eastman and Groupe Rocher worked diligently together to develop life cycle analysis data that has undergone third-party peer review by thinkstep.
With the choice of Eastman’s new Trēva material for the compact case ecodesign, Groupe Rocher and Eastman have embarked on a continuous innovation and improvement journey. Trēva offers the unique benefit of being able to significantly down gauge material use by as much as, and possibly exceeding, 50 percent.
“Reducing our footprint is a continuous process that we can always do better. Trēva offers us that opportunity,” said Perben. Eastman Trēva engineering bioplastic is a USDA Certified Biobased product that carries FSC® chain of custody certification. The compact lid is composed of the new Eastman Cristal™ EV600 copolyester, a glass like high-flow polymer that is Cradle to Cradle Certified™Bronze by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.
“As a Responsible Care® company, Eastman is committed to serving our customers with sustainable solutions and development,” said Kendra Harrold, marketing director of packaging for specialty plastics, Eastman. “This joint process with Groupe Rocher and our other partners shows what this industry can do when it joins forces across the value chain.”
