The challenge
For
Qualiform—one of the world’s top producers of luxury cosmetic packaging—a commitment to the environment has long been a core principle of their business operations. And with the growing demand for products that positively impact the global plastic waste crisis, Qualiform was seeking a sustainability solution that could also uphold their prestige aesthetics and performance.
Qualiform and Eastman have a strong history of collaboration. Eastman copolyesters demonstrate the properties Qualiform’s customers demand for their cosmetic packaging—durability, clarity, safety, and the ability to meet almost any design challenge. Over the years, Qualiform has also relied on Eastman for technical assistance and collaboration in sales and marketing.
When Eastman debuted Eastman Cristal™ Renew copolyester, Qualiform immediately took notice. Cristal Renew features high levels of certified recycled content** that is sourced from landfill-bound waste, and it creates beautiful packaging that doesn’t compromise on performance, color, or quality. Considered the holy grail of sustainable packaging, this combination was exactly what Qualiform was looking for. And when they learned more about Eastman’s Renew materials, it was the transparency that really sold them—not just the sparkling transparency of the packages but also the transparency of the certification process offered by ISCC PLUS.
The ISCC/Eastman solution
Eastman’s molecular recycling technologies break down hard-to-recycle waste plastic to the molecular level and use the building blocks to create resins that are indistinguishable from their virgin counterparts. These molecular recycling technologies divert waste from landfill, have 20%–50% lower greenhouse gas emissions,* and are backed by a credible and transparent third-party certification process.
Eastman’s processes are certified by
International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC)—a global, independent agency that tracks sustainable content in a variety of industries. Likewise, Eastman Renew products are made with certified recycled content using a mass balance process certified by ISCC. This ensures traceability of recycled content throughout the value chain. For a consumer end product to be ISCC certified, all partners in the chain need to achieve ISCC PLUS certification. Qualiform was fast to embrace the process.
“We decided to get ISCC certified because we—and the brands who are our customers—believe in this solution and the transparency it provides,” says Stéphane Perrollier, Qualiform CEO. “When Eastman announced its Renew offerings, we were interested right away. Using landfill-bound waste to create such beautiful packaging was very appealing. This really is game-changing technology.” Both Eastman and ISCC supported Qualiform with training materials and assistance through each step of the certification process.
What are the advantages of being ISCC certified?
Certification promotes trust, allowing for correct and credible claims for stakeholders. This makes Qualiform part of a traceable, sustainable chain of products and helps them reach their sustainability goals—without compromising the performance or aesthetics of their packaging.
By achieving ISCC PLUS certification, Qualiform can:
- Communicate the percentage of certified content allocated by mass balance
- Document and trace chain of custody from feedstocks to products
- Assure stakeholders that mass balance was done following ISCC rules and audited by a third party
Perhaps most importantly, ISCC PLUS certification helps consumers know they are buying a product that supports the move to a circular economy and improves waste management on a global level.
“We found the certification process to be clear and easy to complete due to our existing traceability system and have appreciated the support ISCC provides,” Perrollier says. “Qualiform has a long relationship with Eastman and experience with their products. Since Cristal Renew is indistinguishable in performance and aesthetics from Eastman’s heritage products, no retooling or requalification was necessary, making this an easy switch.”
The result
In late 2020, Qualiform became the first manufacturer to produce cosmetic packaging made with Eastman Cristal™ Renew copolyester.
Qualiform’s sustainable luxury line features bottles made from Cristal Renew EB062-50 and EN076-50, both with 50% certified recycled content. Qualiform offers the option of Cristal Renew for all standard and customized PET or PETG bottles. Samples of standard bottles, including Georgia 100 mL, Quadratus 100 mL, and Elegance 200 mL, are available now.
Brands have welcomed Qualiform’s new product line with enthusiasm, as it has allowed them to quickly switch to more sustainable packaging options. In the first few months following their introduction, Qualiform has received significant interest from brands, with several projects in the works.
Cristal Renew is part of a broad portfolio of sustainable resins that Eastman now offers to the cosmetics market. These resins are made possible by Eastman’s molecular recycling technologies and have all necessary regulatory clearances for the U.S. and the EU.
“Eastman Renew materials provide the clarity, luster, color compatibility, and durability that cosmetics brands have demanded from their packaging for years,” says Renske Gores, segment market manager for cosmetics packaging at Eastman. “Eastman’s molecular recycling allows us to meet these rigorous performance standards and, at the same time, provide significant environmental benefits—landfill diversion, resource conservation, and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.”
*Compared to resins made from fossil-based resources
**The recycled content is achieved by allocating the recycled waste plastic to Cristal Renew using a mass balance process certified by ISCC.