In Sight: Packaging Becomes Eco-friendly

By: Katie Schaefer, Cosmetics & Toiletires

Posted: February 5, 2008, from the February 2008 issue of Cosmetics & Toiletries.

Biodegradable Enters the Personal Care Scene
Italian personal care company Acca Kappa recently launched Bioceta, a line of eco-friendly personal grooming tools. The line includes a body brush, hair brush and toothbrush, and it aims to decrease the negative effects of plastic on the environment with new materials researched by the company.

 “Since it was founded in 1869, Acca Kappa has always been committed to environmental issues,” said Domenic Di Costanzo, director of Acca Kappa’s North American subsidiary. “Today’s chemistry just makes it easier,” he added.

The company broke away from creating brushes out of wood and stumbled on cellulose acetate, a natural substance extracted from cotton. The resulting resin is combined with polymers to make the toothbrush. “In the last couple of years we wanted to develop something different that was not wood but did not have the negative implications of plastic,” stated Di Costanzo.

“The normal plastic toothbrush will degrade completely in 1,000 years. Our toothbrush will degrade in a fraction of the that time—six months, or the degradation time of an oak leaf,” explained Di Costanzo.

In comparison with the amount of landfill space a toothbrush takes up, the average woman’s cleanser, moisturizer, deodorant and shampoo container takes up more and in addition, in many instances, is more frequently replaced. With this in mind, the personal care industry has begun investigating alternatives for packaging.