L’Oréal has announced the initial 13 startups and SME’s due to take part in its L’AcceleratOR programme, endowed with €100 million over five years and run in partnership with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), aiming to help develop scalable solutions to solve climate, nature and circularity challenges.
The company reviewed almost 1,000 applications from 101 countries, with the ‘change makers’ split into Next-Generation Packaging & Materials, Nature-Sourced Ingredients, Circular Solutions and Data Intelligence categories.
Those chosen in the Next-Generation Packaging & Materials category include UK company Kelpi, which uses seaweed to create recyclable, low-carbon packaging; Japanese company Bioworks, which produces novel bioplastics derived from sugarcane and other plant-based materials; and Sweden’s Blue Ocean Closures, which creates fibre-based caps and lids as an alternative to plastic packaging tops. In addition, Raiku from Estonia turns natural wood into high-end, shock-absorbing protective packaging; UK-based Pulpex is seeking to develop the next generation of recyclable paper bottles; and Pulpac from Sweden focuses on low-carbon, paper-based packaging processes.
According to L’Oréal, the 13 partners will enter an intensive support phase led by the CISL innovation team, focusing on pilot readiness. They will also have the opportunity to gain access to L’Oréal’s global resources to launch 6-to-9-months pilot projects and potentially have their solutions scaled across the group’s international operations.
Last October, L’Oréal became the first major brand owner to join the NEXTLOOPP Americas consortium, which pursues a closed loop for food-grade recycled polypropylene throughout the region. It seeks to mobilize recyclers, converters, brand owners, and other stakeholders across the value chain to introduce infrastructure, technologies, and regulatory pathways for safe and scalable recycling processes.
Earlier in the year, L’Oréal sought to encourage consumers to save between 60% and 82% of plastic per refill by adopting its refillable hair care, skincare, and fragrance packaging formats. One example is the company’s refill pouches for its L’Oréal Paris Elvive hair care line, with one pouch thought to use 60% less plastic than two 250ml shampoo bottles.
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