L’Occitane-en-Provence Introduces Sustainable Packaging Innovation

L’Occitane-en-Provence, in collaboration with Carbios, has unveiled a pioneering advancement in its commitment to eliminating virgin plastic from its retail offerings. Revealed at LuxePack, the duo presented a transparent PET bottle crafted entirely through enzymatic recycling, marking a significant milestone for the French natural cosmetics brand.

The bottle, specifically designed for L’Occitane’s Amande shower oil, exemplifies a European value chain dedicated to circularity. Local PET waste is meticulously deconstructed into original monomers, subsequently repolymerized into new, fully recycled PET resins within Europe. This sustainable process ensures that the bottle’s production maintains a minimal environmental footprint.

The resins are then skillfully blow-molded in France, adhering to L’Occitane’s stringent specifications, before being filled at the company’s Manosque plant. This localized approach not only optimizes the environmental benefits of the technology but also enhances the life cycle analysis (LCA) of each product. By reducing transport distances and integrating local collection and production processes, the initiative sets a high standard for sustainability within the industry.

David Bayard, R&D Packaging Director at L’Occitane, expressed the brand’s dedication to driving positive change within the industry, stating, “At L’Occitane en Provence, we’re cultivators of change, and we’re proud to be part of this forward-looking industry.” Bayard further emphasized the brand’s commitment to sustainability, highlighting their aim to transition to 100 percent recycled PET material for all retail bottles by 2027, thanks in part to the advancements made possible by Carbios and depolymerization technologies.

This innovative collaboration serves as a beacon of progress in the realm of sustainable packaging, inspiring similar initiatives globally as brands strive to meet the growing demand for eco-friendly solutions.