Firmenich exec details conscious perfumery targets for 2030 featuring renewable fragrances

17 Mar 2022 --- Global fragrance and taste company Firmenich has unveiled its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goal of becoming the world leader in conscious perfumery by 2030. The company has set ambitious targets for fragrance biodegradability, renewability, carbon neutrality, responsible sourcing and environmental impact transparency.

As part of the ambitions, the company’s fragrance portfolio will consist of 99% ultimately or partially biodegradable ingredients, as defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Additionally, the carbon impact of the perfumery business will be reduced by 25%.

The company also aims to make 100% of fragrances renewable, as defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 16128.

“Conscious perfumery aims to create conscious fragrances and be open to sharing what is inside the fragrance,” Michal Benmayor, vice president of conscious perfumery business development at Firmenich, tells PersonalCareInsights.

“Beyond the performance and nice scents, which are paramount to the change that conscious perfumery will bring to the industry, we see a consistently growing shift toward the necessity for consumers to know ingredients are clean, biodegradable and that the sourcing of natural ingredients respects the environment.”

Responsible sourcing and transparency
Additional ambitions include reinforcing responsible sourcing with 90% of suppliers’ spend rated EcoVadis Silver or better. Firmenich says that 100% of the fragrance portfolio would be analyzed for an environmental and social effect to give fact-based transparency and promote ongoing improvement in formulas.

The 2030 ambition for conscious perfumery is based on a sustainable approach that uses principles of green chemistry.Firmenich aims for its fragrances to have a reduced carbon footprint (Credit: Firmenich).

“Our ambition at perfumery is to create performant fragrances made of renewable and sustainable ingredients that have a reduced carbon footprint while generating positive emotions,” Marie-Aude Bluche, senior director, green creative development innovations unit, Firmenich, also tells PersonalCareInsights.

Achieving fragrance biodegradability and renewability
Firmenich adopted green chemistry principles early on, notes Bluche.

“We banned non-biodegradable ingredients from our Green Gate ingredient innovation platform ten years ago to ensure that our new ingredients have a low environmental impact and are biodegradable.”

“One of our Conscious Perfumery 2030 ambitions is having our fragrance portfolio comprise 99% of ultimately or partially biodegradable ingredients, as defined by the OECD. Green Gate ensures that newly introduced chemicals will not persist in the environment. All new ingredients must pass biodegradability tests at the stage of the Green Gate,” says Bluche.

Sylvergreen is another one of Firmenichs’ renewable transformation platforms. It focuses on the conversion and development of renewable ingredients.

“We joined the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) launched in September 2020 by 12 companies to support and speed the transformation from fossil carbon to renewable carbon for organic chemicals and materials,” adds Bluche.

Programs to achieve conscious perfumery goals
One specific program that will help us achieve our conscious perfumery targets is CreateForGood, notes Bluche.

“Informed by and for consumers, this program provides customers the keys to enhancing competitive advantage by integrating key notions of naturalness, sustainability, regulatory compliance, transparency and sensorial experience in one comprehensive fragrance design process.”

CreateForGood is powered by EcoScent Compass – an integrated sustainability measuring and guiding tool based on the Life Cycle Analysis of ingredients over the past ten years.The company’s fragrance portfolio will consist of 99% ultimately or partially biodegradable ingredients by 2030.

“With these programs, we aim to assess 100% of our fragrances for environmental and social impact by 2030, to provide transparent data and drive constant improvement in our creations. Our perfumers have been using this and we have already started with some fragrances,” adds Bluche.

Future plans: responsible innovation programs
The most significant transformation today lies in responsible innovation programs across both natural and synthetics.

“We invest in innovation, setting new paths for the future, exploring solutions around responsibly sourced naturals, extraction technology, upcycled ingredients and white biotech ingredients.

According to Bluche, Firmenich addresses natural ingredients at the source with its responsible sourcing and naturals programs.

“The company focuses on conscious innovation to support sustainable transformation through a digital measuring tool, Life Cycle Analysis-based, enabling guidance for creating more renewable fragrances,” adds Bluche.

Previously Firmenich set up a new factory in France to increase the production of renewable ingredients. The company also released its ESG report and unveiled a clean fragrance called “Breathe in.”

By Nicole Kerr