Evonik introduces carbon-neutral hydrogen peroxide with “zero impact on performance”

12 Apr 2024 --- Evonik now offers net-zero hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to customers in Europe, enabled through an independently certified approach that allows the ingredient to be sold together with a so-called “Way to GO2” certificate. “Way to GO2” refers to the sustainability strategy spearheaded by Evonik’s Active Oxygens business line in 2022.

“The strategy includes a roadmap to climate-neutral production through, for example, the switch to renewable energy and green hydrogen — steps which are “already helping transform several production plants across the globe,” the supplier highlights.

Personal Care Insights speaks to Christoph Batz-Sohn, marketing director for Environmental & Life Science at Evonik Active Oxygens, who maintains there is no change in product quality, regulations or logistics of the ingredient compared to regular H2O2.

“Since the H2O2 itself is unchanged, there are no performance compatibility issues with using the certified product compared with conventional H2O2,” he highlights. “It is the same high-quality H2O2, simply produced without carbon emissions.”

“Hair care customers can actually avoid the formal hurdle of a long-lasting and costly qualification for a new ingredient, as the physical H2O2 remains the same.”

Wella Company applies certified H2O2
Using certified H2O2 helps customers reduce Scope 3 emissions in their value chain, Evonik highlights.

“For this new product, we have not only taken measures such as 100% recyclable packaging and replaced up to 70% of virgin plastic with recycled material, we have also developed a more sustainable formula with zero impact on performance that contains certified H2O2 from Evonik to reduce carbon emissions versus the previously-used H2O2.”

Global beauty leader Wella Company is one of the first to apply Evonik’s certified H2O2 for its latest hair color developer product as part of its efforts to reduce negative impacts on the environment.

“We have no issue with serving an even larger portion of the beauty market. For one thing, the total hair care market is somewhat smaller compared to larger industrial markets, such as chemicals, pulp and others, where we also offer our carbon-neutral product,” says Batz-Sohn.

“Thanks to our ongoing sustainability measures in production, the amount of carbon-neutral H2O2 that we are able to offer will grow constantly.”

Wella Company is one of the first purchasers of carbon-neutral hydrogen peroxide.Book-and-claim approach
By using a book-and-claim approach, referred to as “insetting,” to calculate its current carbon footprint, Active Oxygens can assign Way to GO2 sustainability certificates to a certain proportion of its portfolio.

The approach and calculation have been independently audited, monitored and certified by rigorous testing expert TÜV Rheinland, highlights the company.

“The certificates are sold at a slight premium compared to conventional H2O2,” Batz-Sohn tells us. “This cost goes toward the further implementation of sustainability measures in our production, as outlined in the roadmap, hence ‘insetting.’”

“For the customer, the benefits of reducing their Scope 3 emissions are manifold — and, we believe, worth the slight increase in price.”

Evonik finally highlights that its H2O2 is not only “increasingly sustainable” in terms of its production footprint. Its application can also help increase the sustainability of processes further downstream, as it is a naturally occurring substance that breaks down into only water and oxygen, leaving little trace on the environment.

“The proportion of carbon-neutral H2O2 will increase over time as we progress along the Way to GO2 roadmap,” concludes Batz-Sohn.

In other developments, Evonik recently launched its Botanicals & Natural Actives business segment to bolster its biosolution capabilities. The German company is preparing to meet the rising demand for botanical extracts and proven natural actives, with a focus on circular beauty solutions.

By Benjamin Ferrer