USA: In partnership with Brazilian petrochemical company Braskem, Johnson & Johnson has released a new line in its Sundown range of sun care products, packaged in sugarcane-based polyethylene packaging comprising 60% green plastic and 40% recycled material.
Available in drug stores and supermarkets nationally in the US, an “I’m Green” logo on the front and rear of the packaging indicates to consumers that an individual Sundown product is manufactured using the new material.
“Sundown is a brand that develops products for consumers to enjoy the right measure of sunshine,” says Sundown marketing manager Juliana Sztrajtman.
“The sun is associated with joy, fun, outdoor activity and nature and hence addressing the issue of sustainability by developing packaging that reduces damage to the environment reflects all that our brand stands for.”
The green plastic developed by Braskem in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, is produced from sugarcane ethanol, a 100% renewable raw material that is also used as fuel in flexible-fuel cars.
The company says for each ton of plastic produced, green plastic sequestrates 2.5 tons of CO2 released during sugarcane cultivation through photosynthesis: “A significant gain compared to traditional plastic, whose production releases 2.1 tons of CO2.”
Sundown teamed up with Braskem in 2008 and since then has been working on developing new packaging made of green plastic.
