J&J debuts bio-based PE containers for Sundown sun care products

The Sundown regular line of products, which uses groundbreaking technology for the sun care market, is now available at stores in more sustainable packaging. It is one of the few brands around the world to use sugarcane-based polyethylene in its packaging, which contains 60 percent bio-plastic and 40 percent recycled material, thus helping to avoid unnecessary disposal of solid waste.

To find out whether the Sundown product is made using this material, consumers must look for the "I'm Green" logo on the front and back of the packaging.

The bio-plastic developed by Braskem is produced from sugarcane ethanol, a 100 percent renewable raw material that is also used as fuel in flex cars. Using green resin not only prevents CO₂ emissions but also removes CO₂ from the atmosphere. For each ton of plastic produced, bio-plastic sequestrates 2.5 tons of CO₂ released during sugarcane cultivation through photosynthesis. This is a significant gain compared to traditional plastic, whose production releases 2.1 tons of CO₂.

During the 2011/2012 summer season, Sundown will avoid consuming around 100 tons of resin produced from petroleum—a non-renewable source—and avoid releasing the equivalent of about 630 tons of CO₂ in the atmosphere. Sundown is the only brand in Brazil's sun care segment to use this technology. It teamed up with Braskem in 2008 and since then has been working on developing new packaging made of bio-plastic.

"Sundown is a brand that develops products for consumers to enjoy the right measure of sunshine. 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," says Sundown marketing manager, Juliana Sztrajtman.

The alliance between Johnson & Johnson, which makes Sundown, and Braskem is the result of their common commitment to sustainability. The bio-plastic is produced at Triunfo's petrochemical plant located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, with annual production capacity of 200 thousand tons.

Source: Braskem

.