EP187. A plastic-free future for beauty

Plastic is an amazing human invention and has made our lives so much better in so many ways. But as we all know, it is also a huge problem because we use way too much of it and we're really irresponsible in how we dispose of it. So According to the UN Environment Programme, every day, get this, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic every day are dumped into the world's oceans, rivers and lakes. That's shocking. It's all awful. And I can tell you quite a lot of that plastic will contain cosmetic packaging. The cosmetics industry is of course aware of its plastic addiction, but has been painfully slow to change. I've previously discussed here on the podcast how some packaging suppliers have only just proudly announced that their plastic packaging is now recyclable. Like that's a milestone. Luckily, there are a handful of pioneering packaging suppliers out there who are doing things differently and one of those companies is called Sulapak. Now, I've been aware of Sulapak pretty much since they launched as the Formula Botanica graduate Community immediately jumped for joy when Sulapak made their first biodegradable jars available. In fact, some of the Formula Botanica graduate formulations I've been sent are in Sulapak packaging. It looks really cool. I do recommend you go and check out their website. So I wanted to find out more about what it takes to make biodegradable packaging and what the uptake has been in the cosmetics industry. So settle in for my episode today in which I interview the CEO of Sudapak to find out exactly how they intend to rid the world of plastic waste. Welcome to Green Beauty Conversations, the podcast that challenges you to think about how you buy, use, make or sell your green beauty formulations. In my weekly episodes, I explore the sustainability of the beauty industry and encourage you to join me in changing the industry for the better. I'm your host, Lorraine Dallnayer. I'm a chartered environmentalist, biologist and the CEO of award winning online organic cosmetic formulation school, Formula Botanica. We have thousands and thousands of students in over 190 countries around the world who study with us to become organic beauty formulators and entrepreneurs. Visit our website@formulabotanica.com to try our free online formulation course. And if you want to be the first person to know what's happening in green beauty, make sure you subscribe to this podcast in your favorite podcast app. So in today's episode, I'm joined by Dr. Suvi Jaime, the co founder and CEO of Sulapak, an internationally awarded material innovation company in Finland with the mission to save the world from plastic waste, Sulupak helps brands across industries to replace conventional plastics with a sustainable alternative that doesn't compromise functionality or aesthetics. Suvi has a master's degree in biochemistry and a PhD in medical biomaterials, has worked in leadership positions for many years, and with the creation of Sulapak, has decided to dedicate her expertise to tackle the global plastic pollution crisis as an entrepreneur. Hi, Suvi, how are you doing today?

I'm very good, thank you. How are you?

I am good and I'm really looking forward to this conversation. And I'm so thrilled that you accepted my invite to come on the podcast because I'm fascinated by what you do. So let's get started. Could you please introduce Sulupak to our listeners? What do you make? What do you sell?

Yeah, absolutely. So Sulapak is on a mission to save the world from plastic waste. And we are basically a material innovation company that makes these materials that have all the plastic benefits, basically all the good properties, without the challenge with microplastics, nor the dependency oil.

Amazing. So let's go in on that statement there, because that's a big, big mission you've got there. You're saying you're on a mission to save the world from plastic waste. Why?

We think that it's really important, kind of taking the equation that plastic waste, but then like what it's doing for our climate change. So every year 460 million tons of plastics are produced and there 85% of that actually ends up either burned or to the nature. So that's huge number. So we need to be able to create materials if they accidentally end up in the nature, that they don't do any harm there. And also we need to be actively involved in developing the infrastructure to more efficiently recycle not only plastic, but these new innovative materials like solar pack and then something. What is one of the key points why we exist is the microplastic challenge. So unfortunately, newborn babies, they get their first dose already of microplastics from the breast milk. Then the accumulation of these microplastics in our bodies have been linked to various autoimmune diseases like Alzheimer's disease, cancer, decrease in fertilization. So huge threats to human health. And not forgetting what it does in the early part of the food chain. So they're the fragile microorganism or plankton, they get starved because microplastics are accumulating. So we really need to create materials that don't produce these microplastics that accumulate everywhere.

Yeah, absolutely. I mean it's, it's a huge crisis and I think we're not even close to tackling it in a meaningful way yet. So it's wonderful to hear of brands such as Sulepak who are creating power packaging materials to try and tackle that. So just for our listeners, what is Sulur pack packaging made of? How does it actually work?

So our materials are actually originally made from plant based biopolymers combined with sustainable fillers like side stream wood or inorganic fillers like naturally occurring clay minerals. But what we are actually able to do today is that we can also utilize post consumer waste or industrial waste based biodicredible polymers. So majority of the products what we chew today can be made from recycled biodifredible biopolymer content combined with these sustainable fillers.

Okay, so give me an example of what post industrial waste actually means. What am I visualizing here?

Yeah, so post consumer waste, that's usually you collect that from a closed loop. So there is actually selected collection points where consumers can collect back their waste. Post industrial means that waste means that then during the production usually get some percentage of scrap and that's collected and then reused and that can be utilized to make recycled by the credible biopolymers.

Amazing. So you're taking waste streams, you're creating new material from that, which is very exciting. And obviously we're going to talk a little bit more about the packaging in a minute. But obviously we've got a global plastic addiction. You talked about it. I mean, what did you say? 460 million tons?

Yes. Annually? Yes. 85% ends up burned or then to the nature. Actually 22 million tons ends up actually to the nature. Heavier. That's too much.

Absolutely. I mean it should obviously be zero. So what do you think are the biggest challenges that we face in terms of converting from this global plastic addiction to a world that isn't so dependent upon plastic?

Absolutely. That's a very good question. And I would like to start from the fact that it's actually a myth that plastic industry has created that just recycling of plastics you can get rid of the plastic waste problem. So as the numbers tell, that's not right. But then there is also more beneath that. So for instance, any kind of a plastic product can be only actually once mechanically recycled. So then there is always the injection of oils or the virgin materials. And although we actually would change the current mechanical recycling infrastructure to chemical, that still doesn't cut down the dependency to oil nor solve the problem of Microplastic pollution. Because during use, during manufacturing, during end of life especially, it end up in the nature, we produce this and microplastic which just continue accumulating. And then what's also a third battle in addition to this is consumer and brand engagement. We really need to make new ways to intensivize not only brands, but consumers to really understand the value of waste. Maybe we should not talk about actually waste at all. It's a kind of always potential raw materials that can be just reused and reused again even before they end up into the recycling. And then when once we have utilize the carbon to make a product, that carbon should be really eternally recycled.

Amazing. So basically we have a long way to go in terms of obviously the industry itself, which is very much dependent upon plastics and oils. But we also have a way to go in terms of changing hearts and minds for our consumers and for the brands themselves. So you've obviously created packaging. Which industries do you supply for? Because I know you supply for the cosmetics industry, but any other industries at the moment?

Yeah, absolutely. So, so we started from the cosmetic packaging. So we are a material provide. We started from injection moldable materials. So then all this rigid packaging is easy to make. But then we have of course expanded our portfolio that we for instance have grades to make 3D printed materials. We have thermoformable materials, extrusion materials. Of course we can make straws and single use plastic products like cutlery that should be also reused. And that's something actually what we have been solved during these years is that when we founded the company, it was more important to really have this biodicability in nature. But what we understood that it's actually very important that we make a durable material out of body credibles. So we have actually created for instance reusable cups and plates. They can be put to the dishwashing machines and they are microwave safe. So actually you can reuse them hundreds of times before actually thinking about the end of life and the recycling. So broad portfolio, broad applications beyond cosmetics.

So for our listeners, can you describe what your packaging looks like? Because obviously they can't see us at the moment, they can only hear us. What, what does it look like?

Well, I have like if somebody sees the picture. Well, we can make very plastic like material. So the very shiny, very matte surface. But of course we can also make very natural look material. So having the wood, the side stream wood on the surface. So making sure that actually the consumer recognizes something else than plastic. So various types of surfaces and colors can be Utilized what is not at the moment possible is a transparent grade because we use the sustainable fillers to really maximize the impact producing carbon neutral materials or super low carbon footprint materials.

Okay, yes, because I've seen obviously the Sulapak packaging for many years. I mean you launched about six, seven years ago, I believe. And I've seen Formula Botanica graduates use it in that time as well. Some of the packaging you have is a very distinct look and I've always thought it looked very eco friendly and natural, which was obviously a big part of the brand for you, I imagine. So can any, literally any cosmetic product be put in a sealer pack container?

Well, what we have understood from the brand testing, we have launched already products with Chanel and Shiseido. So it actually goes through very hard quality standards. Our materials. So we haven't met yet a cosmetic product which cannot be backed especially to the containers or like packaging which have our barrier material in it. So that's extremely similar to plastic. Sorry.

Well, can you describe to me what that barrier material is? How does that work?

So the barrier material, it's once again made from plant based biopolymers combined with naturally occurring clay minerals. And we have created for that similar water barrier properties as compared to traditional plastic like polypropylene. And that's of course the biggest challenge. So we have a biodegradable material, but it can actually withstand very efficiently water and or temperature fluctuations. And, and also the vapor properties, like oxygen vapor properties are extremely good and even better compared to the plastic alternative. And then at the same time it's still biodegradable. So if it ends up accidentally, for instance in the ocean, it biodegrades there less than 100 days. So it needs to have the marine microbes or the soil microbes in order to start the biodegradation. The moisture only within the creams doesn't start the biodegradation process.

Amazing. Well, I was going to ask that question actually. How what do you envisage in terms of waste when you actually take a pseudopak container? Do you expect consumers to reuse it, to send it to industrial biodegradable facilities to landfill? What do you expect?

That is extremely good question. And what we are driving is actually to change of the infrastructure. So today biodegradable materials are not that well recycled. So there is depending on, for instance in eu, EU states you have some industrial composting facilities. Our materials are industrially compostable, but there the carbon is actually not that efficiently being recycled. So how we would like to Change that is that plastic recyclers are actually in the future going to sort out these biodic renewables, including Sulapak, and then they can be efficiently chemically recycled back to new biopolymers. And then we can make exactly the same materials. But before that, as said, our materials are easily reusable or refillable. So some of the brands we are working with already have taking actions from this category. So I think that is also the part of how we can get rid of the dependency of plastic. We really need to also emphasize the fact of refill and reuse before recycling. Our materials are suitable for that.

Okay, so tying in with that, I mean you obviously say you want recycling facilities to be able to sort bio based or biopolymer based packaging in the future. What steps are you taking to help the industry be able to facilitate that? Because that's a major systemic change for waste management, I'd say absolutely.

So the easiest step, what we can offer for the brands and consumers are of course closed loop services. So if a brand is really interested in really getting back to material recycling it effectively, we have partner network which is capable of collecting together with us with collection points the packaging back and then we will take care of the transfer to the chemical recycling side. And then then basically because we are mastering the whole value chain, take it back to the biopolymers and make new solar pack products. So that's absolutely possible.

Wow, that's a big undertaking. That's bigger than just create, just creating packaging. How are you undertaking this?

Well, that's a good question once again. So I think like when we founded the company, we thought it's enough that we just bring this beautiful, sustainable, reusable material to the market with the big brands and of course serve at the same time these fantastic small brands. But unfortunately that's not enough because the infrastructure as we have been discussing for plastic is not there. So we really need to change that. And in order to tackle the plastic waste issue, we need to really be developing the infrastructure. And that's why we have actually moved from just being a material company, developing company and sales company. We need to offer these closed looks to try the change, try the systemic change. Because the only way to do that is actually to partner with our customers, the brands and the consumers. That's the way we able to solve the waste.

And how has the industry received this? Are they open to change?

We have initiated these closed group conversations just now for the first brands. I think there is definitely an interest we need to have these forerunner Brands who want to be brave enough to test something which is not existing on the market and develop that system together. I really invite all the brands who want to be forerunner in innovation and sustainability, contact us and then let's do the work together.

Well, there are lots of brands listening, so you may well get quite an influx now that you've said that because it sounds like a, it sounds like a really pioneering undertaking. It sounds very exciting. So which countries have you been trialing this in so far?

We have been trialing that of course in Finland, but we have also in central Europe service providers and waste collectors who we can work. So definitely we can adjust based on the needs of the brand, what to do and where to start. Is it going to be in department stores where we start the collection and so on. So that's definitely what we can help the brands like really start from small steps to make the big change.

And is your vision to take this global if possible?

Absolutely. Let's start from the Europe first. But global, yes. It's a global plastic waste problem. So we need to make sure that we are the concept what we are creating in Europe, we can copy paste it in other areas of the world.

Amazing. So let's talk about the brands you've worked with so far. I mean, you've mentioned Chanel Shiseido. You just actually held up a Chanel bottle for our listeners who obviously couldn't see that. So do you have any case studies of brands, big or small, that you can share with us?

Yeah, definitely. Chanel I would like to share because they have been for our, our partner for many years. The Chanel number one line, what we launched together with them less than two years ago, that was also a big step for us because we were able to prove that not only the selected sustainable filler streams like the waste wood stream or the naturally occurring clay minerals, we can utilize brand's own waste streams. So what we use there is camellia seed cell leftover. So camellia seed oils were utilized to make the beautiful products and then the waste stream we were able to put into the materials and make these beautiful caps. So that's definitely something we want to share. And also like, I think that's a very good example to be the forerunner in innovation and sustainability.

That's really exciting actually. I mean, I presume that Chanel has quite a lot of waste camellia seeds, which I'm guessing some of the smaller brands wouldn't. But I mean, what sort of volumes are you working with?

Well, the volumes there, like I think we are capable of utilizing everything what goes to this product line. So definitely all the waste what is then produced, we are capable of making these materials. And of course there is this industrial waste stream wood, what we utilize. So that's part of it. So basically everything they produce we able to utilize.

It's very exciting, the idea of a big brand having left ingredient waste and turning that into its packaging itself. I think that's just pioneering. So very exciting. Have you got any case studies of smaller brands as well? Because obviously there are a lot of indie brands, really independent, tiny brands, listening to this podcast as well. Have you worked with any of them?

Yeah, absolutely. And our journey starts with these brands. So for instance, Naviter was the first customer then in 2017, which is very key milestone that the brave CEO took it and then we were capable of really having the first primary packaging where we were able to pack these oil based formulations and then only after gain the barrier material which was capable of packing water containing emulsions. So extremely important customers are the small brands because actually they are the brave ones. They are the brave ones who want to be in the forefront of sustainability and innovation and we definitely want to help them. And I think now the collaboration what we launched together with ABT Europe, we finally are in a position to help them because actually the MOQ has dropped from 10,000 to 120 for selected charge and then for selected charges, thousand. So definitely we have been working hard to serve as well as we can these small brands which are extremely important customer base for us.

That's amazing. I mean, a minimum order quantity of 120 is almost unheard of. So I would imagine you'll be getting quite a few phone calls after this podcast actually, because your packaging looks beautiful as well. Are there any sort of regulatory challenges around the pioneering changes that you're trying to make?

Thank you for that question. And the answer is yes, if we compare now, like standard tech companies compared to sustainable tech companies, we both have the similar challenges, but sustainable tech companies have even bigger challenges because unfortunately the regulatory environment is always late. So either the needed regulations don't exist or they have been made wrong. So just to give you a few examples, like we have this single use plastic directive which is not directly related to cosmetic packaging, but there, there is a plastic definition where plastic is defined that all chemically modified biopolymers are plastic, meaning that even fried egg biopolymers are plastic. So that doesn't help these sustainable innovations like us. And that's going to be corrected. But it's going to take a while. So it's crazy that our super sustainable material is positioned in the same box and oil based plastic that produce microplastics. But we definitely want to help the politicians. We need the politicians to make the regulations right. And what we see now, the developments in the packaging and packaging waste regulation, the direction is definitely right there. The main points are that chemical recycling needs to be defined as recycling because that's actually much more efficient compared to the mechanical recycling of plastics or even biodegradables. And then biodegradables need to be considered as an alternative to the conventional plastic and not as a kind of interfering material group to the existing system. What's was actually at some point it looked like that, but luckily I understood it has been now corrected in the latest versions of that regulation.

What do you mean by interfering? How were biodegradables initially viewed?

Yeah, so plastic industry claimed. And of course that's right. Like if you want to maximize the utilization of the existing infra, don't develop it further. Then it's good to stick with the traditional oil based plastic and just have single material. But then we can't get rid of the problem of oil dependency or microplastic pollution. So if we want to change that, we need these sustainable innovative materials to really solve that problem.

Gosh, we have a long way to go to change people's hearts and minds in order to change the system. Well, my final question for you then Suvi is what is your big dream for Sulapak? What would you like to see from Sulapak 20 years down the line?

So of course we would like to make solarpak the new sustainable standard replacing the oil based plastics. And I hope that when consumers go to the shops in 10 years and then they see these big brands like Chanel and Shiseida, but also these small brands advertising solarpak that then Sulapak would be for the consumer the guarantee for sustainability and quality because that's definitely what is needed. There is 455ecolabels out there. It's impossible for the consumer even for a brand what is truly sustainable choice. So that's what we are driving, a standard that everybody understands that this is sustainable. And then at the same time of course participate into the solution of solving plastic waste.

Well, I love your mission, I love your packaging, I love what you're doing and I wish you all the very best. I have no doubt that you will be achieving this in no time. So where can people find out more about you and your work? And if they want those 120 moqs where can they come?

Definitely our website is of help so sulapak.com there is there you find all the links to really find our packaging and then collaboration what we do for instance with ABG Europe and order from there.

Excellent. We'll include all of those links with the show notes Suvi, it's been a real pleasure having you on the podcast today. Thank you so much for joining me.

Thank you so much. Was a pleasure from my side as well.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Have you ever used a cosmetic product in Sulapak packaging? Would you buy cosmetics in this type of packaging? Tell me what you think. Leave us a comment on our social channels as both the Formula Botanica team and I love hearing from you and if you want to hear more about some of the topics we covered, please do delve back into the podcast archives. Go and listen to episode 117 in which I interviewed Peter Wang Kiamdal of Repurpose Global on whether beauty should go plastic free. That was a fascinating conversation. Or episode 93 in which I interviewed two packaging suppliers, Sprout World and Magical Mushroom, who are making innovative solutions by growing their packaging from mushrooms or creating pencils that can be planted after use that contain seeds. Or episode 69 in which formula Botanica Education Manager Anna Green and I look at the biodegradability myth. What does it actually mean in relation to the cosmetics industry? There's a wealth of information in our old episodes and I do encourage you to go back and listen to them. Thank you for joining Suvi and I for this latest episode of Green Beauty Conversations. I really hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please do leave us a five star review so that other people can enjoy these conversations too. Make sure you subscribe to the podcast podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or whatever your favorite podcast app is and stay tuned for the next episode. Follow Formula Botanica at Formula Botanica on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter or LinkedIn and come give me a follow at Lorraine Dhalmer on Instagram where I talk about sustainability in beauty. Visit our website@formulabotanica.com and sign up for a free online formulation course today.

Sam.