6/9/2022
A P&G First: Shampoo and Conditioning Bars
P&G Beauty Team Meets Consumer Demand for Sustainable Products
At P&G, the consumer is boss. And our research has shown that consumers are eager to be more sustainable and are urging brands to help them. Indeed, a significant proportion of consumers (65%) try to buy plastic free packaging.1
In response, we’re “Raising the Bar” on sustainability by changing the way people across Europe buy and use shampoo and conditioner — with new, high-performing shampoo bars from Head & Shoulders, Pantene, Herbal Essences, and Aussie.
These new shampoo bars have been formulated in such a way that one bar equals up to two equivalent 250ml liquid shampoo bottles. Plus, each handmade bar is made into an easy-to-hold shape with an integrated built-in cotton rope to hang in the shower for ease of storage — crafted to delight consumers by elevating their haircare experience.
At the Reuters Responsible Beauty Summit, Artur Litarowicz, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Beauty for P&G Europe, said these new product innovations are in response to consumer demand.
“Not only do these innovations offer a delightful experience due to their unique formulas and shapes, but their boxes are also paper-based with FSC certified paper, to further advance us on the mission to reduce virgin plastic,” Litarowicz said.
Paula Chin, Sustainable Materials Specialist at WWF UK, said brands play a critical role in making an impact at scale on plastic waste reduction.
“Plastic pollution is one of the most visible symptoms of the environmental crisis we’re facing, and it’s devastating our natural world,” Chin said. “Businesses, governments, and households have all got an important part to play in tackling this. Consumers are rightly concerned about this issue, so it’s great to see P&G playing their part to drive down the use of plastics with this new range of products.”
With the introduction of more and more post-consumer recycled plastic into regular bottles, and the refill system, the launch of bars will further contribute to the reduction of virgin plastic use. In fact, since 2021, P&G Beauty has reduced virgin plastic usage by 50% per year — an equivalent to 300 million virgin plastic bottles. With a footprint in millions of European households, P&G Beauty’s scale — combined with their commitment to continue to raise the bar on sustainable innovation — delivers a significant contribution to tackling the challenges of bathroom sustainability.
P&G Beauty’s sustainability journey
P&G Responsible Beauty continues its commitment to help consumers act more sustainably in their everyday lives, by providing them with better choices. In short, here’s our journey so far:
- Recycle - As of December 2021, most of our shampoo & conditioner bottles became technically recyclable.
- Reduce - From 2021, we reduced the amount of virgin plastic used by 10,000 tons a year2, an equivalent to 300 million virgin plastic bottles. We listened to consumers, and now more than half of our shampoo bottles are made from 100% recycled plastic in Europe.
- Reuse - We launched THE GOOD REFILL to help consumers change their refill behavior in the bathroom and have already brought over a million refillable products to market in one year.
To learn more about P&G Responsible Beauty innovation and sustainability commitments, head to https://us.pg.com/responsible-beauty/.
1 Kantar Who Cares Who Does September 2021
2 December 2021 vs. 2016
