Shiseido and KANEKA Launch Joint Development of Biodegradable Cosmetic Containers

Shiseido Company, Limited (“Shiseido”) has agreed to conduct joint development with KANEKA CORPORATION (“Kaneka”) aiming to utilize Kaneka Biodegradable Polymer® PHBH®*, a proprietary material with high biodegradability in seawater for cosmetic containers, etc. Going forward, the two companies will continue discussions and verifications regarding the possibility of further applications for such as containers, tools, packaging materials, furniture, and fixtures related to cosmetics in pursuit of early commercialization.
* Kaneka Biodegradable Polymer® PHBH®: 100% plant-derived biopolymer originally developed by Kaneka, expected to have excellent biodegradability in a wide range of environments.
The product name was changed from “Kaneka Biodegradable Polymer® PHBH®” to ”KANEKA Biodegradable Polymer Green Planet ™” in February 2021.

Background

Plastics, an indispensable material in our daily lives, are convenient but are contributing to one of the major global environmental issues: marine waste. Amid such circumstances, there is a growing interest in environmentally friendly materials.
In 2019, Shiseido formulated a new corporate mission, ”BEAUTY INNOVATIONS FOR A BETTER WORLD”. In order to be a company that remains vital for the next 100 years and beyond, Shiseido will work toward the realization of a better, sustainable world from a long-term perspective through “beauty innovation” driven by its core business. As part of its ongoing initiatives, Shiseido aims to develop a biodegradable container with less environmental impact by combining Kaneka's proprietary polymer material development technology and Shiseido’s long years of expertise in developing containers for cosmetics, etc.

Shiseido’s packaging initiatives

As the first Japanese company to participate in SPICE (Sustainable Packaging Initiative for CosmEtics: an initiative for the development of sustainable packaging for cosmetics), Shiseido has been working toward a common goal of “collectively shaping the future of sustainable packaging” with global cosmetics companies since 2018.
Furthermore, the company has been using sugarcane-derived polyethylene containers for its hair care products since 2011 and plastic resins mechanically recycled from collected plastic bottles for its body shampoo containers since 2015.

　Shiseido aims to minimize environmental impact by developing containers that realize not only good usability and beautiful design, but also environmental friendliness through its unique technologies and collaborations inside and outside the company.