Sustainability

Why is palm oil still important?
Palm oil is an incredibly efficient crop, producing more oil per land area than any other equivalent vegetable oil crop. Globally, palm oil provides 35% of the world’s vegetable oil demand using just 10% of the land*. While oil palm is more efficient than other vegetable crops, concerns over its growing demand could lead to serious environmental and social consequences such as deforestation, loss of natural habitats, illegal fires and land conflicts.

Even though the volumes used by Solvay remain low compared to the total market for palm oil, we are committed to respecting Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) principles and ensuring our palm oil supplies are sustainably produced.

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What is RSPO Mass Balanced (MB)?
Palm oil can be produced in a responsible manner that respects the environment and communities. The RSPO label ensures that a product is made with certified sustainable palm oil. This label gives confidence that the palm oil was produced in a socially and environmentally responsible way.

What are Syensqo’s commitments? 

• RSPO member since 2012
• Sustainable sourcing policy for palm and palm kernel oil derivatives
• Stringent selection of our suppliers based on sustainability criteria
• A time-bound plan to ensure full traceability of our raw materials
• RSPO certification of our manufacturing sites (all Personal Care sites are certified)

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Using ingredients of low environmental impact is important for respecting the delicate balance of marine biodiversity. A parameter often used to characterize the impact on the ecosystem is the Critical Dilution Volume (CDV). The CDV represents the volume of water needed for the dilution of a product down to a concentration with no foreseeable harmful impact on aquatic species (expressed in L/g). The lower the CDV, the lower the impact the ingredient has on the environment.

The table below lists ingredients with low CDV versus the reference products used to deliver the same functionality.

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The vast majority of today’s consumers want to understand the added value and benefits each ingredient brings to the products used in their beauty routines. Moreover, consumers no longer have to choose between a lower-performing, eco-friendly solution and an effective, yet conventional solution. So, a designation as natural or naturally derived typically results in a product being perceived as purer and safer for consumers.

With the expectation that personal care products should be made with more natural-inspired ingredients, Solvay Research and Innovation (R&I) teams are exploring ways to find naturally derived alternatives that can replace synthetic ingredients. Brands have begun to reformulate by removing undesirable synthetic ingredients, such as polyquaterniums, silicones and sulfates, and replacing them with alternatives that deliver similar, or even better, performance.

Through years of innovation Solvay’s teams have found innovative solutions that replace the functions of these existing products and add some new benefits and new sensory experiences.

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Thanks to our new hair care routine with hybrid products consumers will save time, energy resources (water) and leave them with a clean conscience.

• Pre Wash Treatment

This step replaces the conditioning step, but is done before shampooing and does not require any extra water, as you don’t need to rinse it before using your shampoo. This disruptive routine concept comes with a new sensory experience, delivering Intensive hair nourishment and protection against further damage from shampoo. Consumers can expect to save 30% to 50% of water per shower. 

• BB cream shampoo or Cleansing Conditioner Solutions 

The objective of a multifunctional product like Solvay’s BB cream shampoo solution or cleansing conditioner is to reduce two steps of the hair-washing cycle by eliminating the conditioning step. Shampoos containing quats that deliver the conditioning performance expected from and combo shampoo-conditioner contrary to the traditional “2-in1” shampoos. With one rinse step removed, consumers can expect to save 30% to 50% of water per shower. 

Shampoos containing quats truly deliver the conditioning performance expected from and combo shampoo-conditioner.

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Solid shampoo is making a serious comeback. Twenty-first  century environmental and healthfulness concerns have ushered in the return of powders and bars for hair washing, decades after liquid shampoos wiped them off the map of hair care routines.

One unit of solid shampoo can replace two to three bottles of its liquid equivalent, lasting 80-100 washes. Because younger generations are driving this demand, this trend is not expected to change over the next few decades.

Formulating solid shampoos requires three categories of ingredients: cleansing agents, mild amphoterics and binders and conditioning ingredients. Solvay carries all three of these categories in our portfolio. 

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The ISO 16128 Standard defines a common international language for  natural and organic ingredients that is based on the 12 principles of Green Chemistry.

ISO 16128 is not a label, not a set of technical specifications, not a law, but is rather a framework for harmonizing and structuring terminologies related to organic and natural ingredients among the different countries of the world.

The ISO 16128 Standard establishes four categories of ingredients and indicates calculations for their naturalness indices.

In Syensqo's portfolio, this “naturalness index” concerns just two:

• Natural Index (In) for pure natural products with no chemical modifications
• Natural Origin Index (Ino) for products derived from natural resources that have been modified by chemical/biological reaction

An index of Ino > 0.5 refers to products originating from renewable resources.

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Microplastics are tiny plastic particles, fewer than 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) in diameter, smaller than a grain of rice. They are found in everyday items, such as water bottles, textiles, and some personal care products. As concerns are being raised over the consequences these tiny particles have on marine life, Solvay offers alternatives to microplastics for the most challenging formulations.

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A multi-year project to teach and promote sustainable agricultural practices to farmers of rain-fed guar bean crops grown in India’s desert region of Bikaner. Launched in 2015, Syensqo’s Sustainable Guar Initiative (SGI) aims to empower farmers with tools and knowledge to cultivate guar crops through good agricultural practices that will result in more continuous, high-yield production. The program was designed to improve the livelihood of farmers, protect local resources and ensure a durability of income for guar bean farmers while also considering the impact of climate change into their activities.

More than 7,300 farmers in 36 villages have already registered to participate in the project. We commissioned Technoserve, a global non-governmental  organization, to spearhead on-the-ground implementation. Technoserve experts train farmers, showing how sustainable farming practices can be implemented in a practical way. By comparing crops grown on the demonstration land to those grown under normal field conditions, farmers learn to recognize the benefits of sustainable agricultural practices. 

Our efforts also focus on expanded societal inputs to help women establish kitchen gardens that provide various vegetables for their families, and serve as a potential secondary source of income.

Integrated approach of the environment and societal life cycle analysis of the first three years of the Sustainable Guar Initiative program

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Cosmetic Organic and Natural Standard (COSMOS-validated ingredients) meet standards and requirements for responsible use of natural resources and use ingredients of a completely natural and organic origin.

The certification is recognized around the world by the cosmetics industry. By adhering to specific guidelines, cosmetics marketers can use COSMOS trademarks on packaging to confirm their products meet industry requirements.

Syensqo offers a variety of ingredients validated by COSMOS.

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The EU Ecolabel takes the whole life cycle of a product into account, from the extraction of raw materials, to production, to packaging and transport, through to consumer use, disposal and recycling. This ensures that the environmental impact is minimal in comparison to similar market products. The EU Ecolabel also minimizes the use of hazardous substances that may be harmful to aquatic environments.

Organized by the European Commission, the EU Ecolabel ensures environmental efficiency through third-party control and testing to guarantee that their criteria are met, and provides an easily recognizable logo to committed products.

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There is no official vegan label and no "gold standard" certification. Many vegan labels exist on the market (specific to cosmetics or not, with some combined with "cruelty-free" certification) and each label having certain specificities.

Syensqo has a long-term commitment toward a more sustainable, responsible and ethical chemistry. To reach these objectives, we strive to reduce and even avoid the use of animal testing. We consider animal welfare as a top priority, while never overlooking the optimal safety level of our products, the health of our workers, and the protection of the environment.

For information about all vegan/cruelty-free certifications of our products, please contact your Syensqo representative to receive a personalized answer to your specific questions.

Syensqo offers solutions that address challenging criteria and labeling requirements for ethical and "community-friendly" products.

List of certified plants

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