Sustainable Ingredients in Cleaning Products

Sustainable Components in Cleaning Products Future Origins, a US-based joint venture commercializing sustainable alternatives to critical components in the formulations of daily cosmetics, personal care and cleaning products, was officially launched today at the American Cleaning Institute's Innovation Showcase. Future Origins was established by industrial biotechnology leader Geno, Unilever, Kao and L'Oréal to commercialize and produce high-volume sustainable components for surfactants commonly used in laundry detergents and facial cleansers. Future Origins' product development activities have already begun reaching significant milestones. Recently completed 63,000-liter pilot-scale fermentation studies produced several tons of material. A portion of this material was subsequently processed to yield hundreds of kilograms of detergent alcohol. Future Origins is sending these products to commercial partners for use in various applications. This work provides critical data required for the design of the first commercial facility, expected to come online within less than five years. "We are in a period where innovations in biotechnology are meeting demand for sustainable alternatives. The United States government's support for growth in biotechnology and bio-manufacturing has enabled businesses to produce innovative products with significant potential environmental benefits," says Future Origins CEO John Gugel. Future Origins will use Geno's proven fermentation-based technology and proprietary engineered microorganisms to produce more sustainable surfactants. Future Origins' high-volume replacement components will have significantly lower carbon footprints compared to current equivalents and will align with increasing regulatory requirements and corporate commitments to deforestation-free supply chains. Unilever Research and Development Director Richard Slater said: "We invested in Future Origins because we believe it will help us transition to more sustainable content sourcing pathways in the long term by leveraging science. Biotechnology sits at the intersection of science and sustainability and has significant potential in preparing both our business and our planet for the future." "Through our partnership with Future Origins, Kao aims not only to produce more sustainable components for use in our home and personal care products, but also to supply derivative products to our chemical business customers," said Masahiro Katayose, Senior Executive and Head of Kao Chemistry Business. "By establishing these new supply chains that are traceable and transparent, we will further encourage responsible raw material sourcing." Mohamed Kanji, Head of Open Innovation and Operational Excellence for L'Oréal North America, said: "We are excited to see Future Origins reach this important milestone through our collective efforts and move us closer to our vision of a more sustainable and responsible beauty industry. This collaboration reflects our commitment to innovation and sustainability and sets a precedent for broader industry and consumer options. We are proud to lead this transformative journey, demonstrating how partnerships can effectively combine environmental responsibility." As product development activities continue, Future Origins plans for construction of its first commercial-scale production facility by 2025. According to current timelines, Future Origins will begin full-scale production within three years, by 2028, as planned. Dr. Priti Pharkya, Senior Vice President of Business Operations for Future Origins, said: "We look forward to meeting and working with industry partners interested in early access to these sustainable products and reserving capacity at the commercial-scale facility." Source