According to a recent report released by a market research company, Statista45% of U.S. consumer survey respondents agree that one of the most important criteria for sustainable beauty products is the use of 100% natural ingredients.
Furthermore, 39% of respondents said that one of the most important factors in consuming sustainable beauty products is that the product does not use ingredients that are harmful to the environment, and 31% said that one of the most important factors in consuming sustainable beauty products said that products must be manufactured in a way that does not use ingredients that are harmful to the environment. pollute the environment.
“Ten years ago, the word sustainability probably wouldn’t have been the first thing that came to mind when consumers mentioned palm oil,” says Golden Agri, when considering the formulation of cosmetics and personal care products. – said Jaap Raijmans, Oleochemical Product Line Manager at Resources (Gar). The Singaporean palm oil company, which recently expanded into the United States, is an “agribusiness that spans the entire palm oil value chain from seed to shelf” and “from seed development and cultivation to plantation, refinery and factory management.” We are concentrating our business on. It’s a refinery that produces consumer products, biofuels and oleochemicals,” said Marcus Hatter, GAR’s U.S. commercial manager for oleochemicals.
“Due to growing consumer concern about the role of fossil fuel-based petrochemicals in climate change, there is an established and growing demand for plant-based products, including oleochemicals, as greener and natural alternatives. ” Hutter continued.
We discuss the benefits of palm oil oleochemical production as a sustainable alternative to petroleum products in the beauty industry, GAR’s efforts to address issues related to sustainable palm oil production and supply, and future prospects. We spoke to Raijmans and Hattar to learn more about their goals. For palm oil oleochemicals in beauty and personal care.
Sustainable alternative to oil
Palm oil has a wide range of uses and uses, including cooking oil, household detergents, and various beauty and personal care products. As detailed by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, palm oil “has a mixed reputation despite its unique properties as a product and its high demand.” This is because palm oil “can have negative effects on the environment and living organisms if produced in an unsustainable manner.” Wildlife and human rights, including deforestation and worker exploitation.”
When the palm of your hand has grown sustainablyHowever, “oleochemicals derived from palm” [can make] “It is an attractive alternative for producers looking to replace petroleum-based ingredients such as fatty alcohols in cosmetics production,” said Reijmans.
In addition, palm also has other sustainable benefits when compared to other vegetables used in the production of oleochemicals, such as coconut and rapeseed. “Palm oil is the most productive vegetable oil in the world. The same area of land produces 3.5 tonnes of palm oil per hectare, compared to 0.5 tonnes of soybeans and 0.7 tonnes of sunflower,” explained Lymans. .
“Land use for agriculture and forestry contributes to the surrounding people.” 1/5 of greenhouse gas emissionsIngredient selection plays an essential role in developing more sustainable formulations,” says Reijmans.
Regarding the production of more sustainable beauty and personal care product formulations, Reijmans says, “Palm-derived oleochemicals are compatible with their petrochemical counterparts in many cosmetic applications and are safe, traceable, plant-based products. formulation, while reducing carbon emissions compared to other products.” Even petrochemicals. ”
GAR and sustainable palm oil production
“Palm oil’s proven safety and quality is also an advantage,” says Reiman, given the growing consumer awareness and interest in beauty and personal care formulations when considering a product’s sustainable footprint. says Mr. “According to McKinsey,” he quoted.Almost half of Gen Z consumersYou can’t buy any beauty product until you’ve thoroughly researched the ingredients it contains. ”
Therefore, GAR guarantees that “all palm-derived ingredients meet non-GMO standards,” Reijmans said. The company’s oleochemical supply chain is “Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certified and we meet ISO standards for quality and environmental management.” . ”
“From a formulation perspective, we don’t see any major challenges for customers who are using or switching to palm-based products,” he said, but added, “The most pressing challenge is to use sustainably produced palm-based products. “It’s about ensuring the supply of products.” In recent years, “demand for palm-derived oleochemicals has consistently outstripped supply, with the risk of rising prices and diminishing interest in these sustainably produced alternatives,” he said. added.
Therefore, to proactively address this problem, GAR is “improving production through GAR’s reforestation program, replacing older and less efficient trees with more productive trees and replanting the same plantation area.” We are committed to increasing the supply of sustainable palm oil by increasing the yield of oil from ” explained Reijmans.
Additional GAR efforts to increase the availability of sustainably sourced palm oil include “recently connecting 270 independent farmers to RSPO-certified suppliers to increase the availability of sustainable raw materials.” This includes expanding smallholder farmer certification, exemplified by initiatives such as the Sawit Teranpil program, which has been integrated into the chain,” he said. Shared more.
He added: “At an industry level, RSPO’s commitment to certify more grain crushing plants should open new routes to market for certified sustainable palm kernel oil and derivatives.” he added.
Further innovations for sustainable palm in cosmetics and PBC
Looking ahead, “there are a lot of growth opportunities in palm oil oleochemicals for beauty and personal care,” Hatter said. For example, “as the industry continues to focus on sustainability and innovation, we can expect further development and innovative applications of palm oil-derived ingredients, such as producing propylene glycol from glycerin rather than traditional petrochemical routes.” he explained.
Additionally, Hatter said, “Demand from customers and consumers for sustainable farming practices will continue to increase.” Considering the “U.S. Forest Law”, [is] Following the enactment of similar legislation in Europe in the form of the EUDR and subsequent legislation, we are back on the table. Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA)“Supply chain transparency and regulatory compliance remain important,” he added.
Therefore, Hutter concluded, “GAR is committed to increasing its presence in the U.S. market, and oleochemicals play an important role in that strategy.”
