Aethic first to use new clear MATER-BI packaging film

21st Mar 2016

Aethic first to use new clear MATER-BI packaging film

London-Novara, Monday 21st   of March 2016

Aethic, the London-based skincare company that launched Sôvée, world’s only scientifically proven ecocompatible sunscreen, is to be the first cosmetics company to use a clear packaging film specially developed by Italian MATER-BI manufacturer Novamont.

The material is to debut with Aethic’s next production run of its sunscreens and face creams.

The word “Cellophane” has become a generic to describe a transparent material used to protect packaged products from tampering and surface damage and to make them look shiny.  The material was originally derived from cellulose and was biodegradable, yet the polluting effects of carbon disulfide and other by-products of the process used to make viscose  made it less popular and other lower-cost  petrochemical materials supplanted cellulose.

Being based on an efficient use of renewable resources and presenting sustainable end-of-life options, MATER-BI packaging now represents an environmentally-friendly alternative to the existing products.

The new MATER-BI grade developed for Aethic is in fact made from sustainably-sourced base ingredients, promoting the setting up of innovative agro-industrial value chains and the use of local raw materials cultivated on marginal land. Moreover, its production process adopts a “cascading” approach to biomass and has low carbon emissions and the end material is biodegradable and compostable according to the European standard EN 13432.

Aethic initiated the collaboration after it had already adopted a sugar cane-derived material for its bottles.

Says Allard Marx, CEO of Aethic: “I vividly remember holding a bio-plastic Mickey Mouse watch made from this material in my hand when consulting for Novamont in 1989. I never forgot the company and had recently heard that their material was now used for magazine wraps and disposable carrier bags. I asked them to develop a MATER-BI grade that would hold its fold, heat-seal easily, be sustainable, biodegradable and look great. They promptly and successfully rose to the challenge. I am absolutely delighted that we can now protect our products responsibly.”

MATER-BI is used successfully in a variety of other applications and Novamont’s revenues are in excess of €145m worldwide. Aethic’s skincare range is stocked at leading retailers and its Sôvée sunscreen was recently announced as the official sunscreen of UK’s America’s Cup challenger Land Rover BAR.

Adds Alessandro Ferlito, Novamont Sales Manager: “Consumer brands like Aethic are the future. We have no choice but to take care of the only planet we have and Aethic leads the way in preventing damage to skin and the ocean. It is a pleasure to have developed this version of MATER-BI with them and we hope other cosmetics companies will soon follow their lead and adopt this material”.
Ends.

Contacts:
Aethic: Allard Marx, allard.marx@aethic.com Tel +447860205646

Novamont: francesca.desanctis@novamont.com

Tel.: +39 0321.699.611 – Mob.: +39 340.1166.426

Damson PR: Abigail Stuart-Menteth, abigail@damsonpr.com, +44 7855 526550

About Aethic

Aethic is a London-based skincare company founded by Allard Marx. The company has innovated with Sôvée, a patented product. It believes that its products must outperform competitors’ in protecting skin from damage or restoring it to good health. Yet it must do

so without harming our planet with the oceans and marine life being the company’s primary focus.

Three face creams have just been introduced into the company’s range and other products are in the later stages of development.

Sôvée was launched in Selfridges in 2013 and is now stocked in Whole Foods,  Lazeo, Brummellsoflondon.com, beyondorganic.com and aethic.com online as well as leading resort hotels around the world starting with COMO Hotels and Resorts.

Sôvée is the official sunscreen of the International Kiteboarding Association, Kiteboarding Tour Asia, UK’s Challenger for the America’s Cup – Land Rover Bar and has been endorsed by Blue Flag International and is promoted by the Coral Triangle.

About Novamont and Mater-Bi

Novamont’s mission is to develop bioplastics and biochemicals through the integration of chemistry and agriculture, by starting up biorefineries integrated in local areas and providing application solutions with low environmental impact that ensure the efficient use of resources throughout their entire life cycle, with social, economic and environmental advantages.

The company has been innovating in the bio-plastics sector since 1989.