Biodegradable plastics and the biodegradability of packaging in general has long been discussed among the cosmetics community, and not always without contention. However, the status of the goop in the bottle is equally important, with growing numbers of brands taking to the lab to ensure their formulations break down harmlessly in the environment in a short enough time frame.
“Biodegradability has become increasingly important for our customers in recent years,” says Dr Rebecca Stiles, BASF’s Head of Sustainability, Personal Care, EMEA. “For example, it represents a key requirement for finished formulations to be awarded with ecolabels for environmental excellence, such as the EU Ecolabel or Nordic Swan.”
But how exactly do we define a biodegradable formula, and why does it matter?