Pantene Announces First Shipment of Innovative More Sustainable Bottles Made From Plant-Based Plastic

CINCINNATI, April 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Pantene announced today it has started producing its new shampoo and conditioner bottles made primarily from plant-based plastic.  This innovative material, a first for the hair care industry, is made from sugarcane and will be featured on the Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion collection. The new bottles will be initially launching in Western Europe with expansion plans to the rest of the world over the next 2 years.

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The packaging uses less of the planet's non-renewable resources. It contains plastic derived from sugarcane, a natural and renewable resource, as opposed to traditional plastic which is made from petroleum, a non-renewable material.  Sugarcane-derived plastic has significant environmental benefits: it consumes over 70% less fossil fuels and releases over 170% less greenhouse gases per ton than traditional petroleum-based plastic.

"Plant-based plastics are part of the future for improving the sustainability of packaging. Its use results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions and less consumption of fossil fuels than traditional petroleum-based plastics," said Anne Johnson, director of GreenBlue's Sustainable Packaging Coalition. "When a brand like Pantene introduces this type of technology on a major consumer product line, it represents an innovation in the marketplace and sends a strong signal that will in turn encourage further innovations in sustainability for packaging."

The new Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion sugarcane-based packaging will become available across several Western European markets and retailers over the summer and autumn.  This will be a seamless transition for consumers as the formulas will remain unchanged and the new bottle has virtually identical characteristics to its predecessor and it is as recyclable as before. The Nature Fusion collection was launched in 2009 and it is sold in all major markets globally.

"The use of sugarcane-based plastic in our Nature Fusion packaging allows us to offer the same performance consumers expect from Pantene but in a more sustainable way," says Hanneke Faber, P&G's Vice President & Brand Franchise Leader for Global Pantene. "We're thrilled to be the first hair care brand to use this technology on its packaging but we also recognize sustainability is a journey and we're fully committed to it. Our goal is to punctuate this journey with meaningful innovations that make our communities more healthy and beautiful and we hope others will follow."

By using renewable resources, such as sugarcane-based plastic, Pantene is supporting P&G's goal of replacing 25% of petroleum-based materials with sustainably sourced renewable materials by 2020. P&G's long term vision is to use 100% renewable or recycled materials on all of its products. More information on P&G's long term environmental sustainability vision can be found at http://www.pg.com/en_US/sustainability/overview.shtml

About P&G Beauty & Grooming

P&G Beauty & Grooming products help make beauty dreams real for women and help men look, feel and be their best everyday.  With 8 billion dollar brands and products available in nearly 130 countries, P&G's beauty and grooming products delivered sales of over $27 billion in fiscal year 2009/10, making it one of the world's largest beauty and grooming companies.  P&G Beauty & Grooming offers trusted brands with leading technology to meet the full complement of beauty and grooming needs, including  Pantene®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Max Factor®, Cover Girl®, DDF®, Frederic Fekkai®, Wellaflex®,  Rejoice®, Sebastian Professional®, Herbal Essences®, Koleston®, Clairol Professional®, Nice 'n Easy®, Venus®, Gillette®, SK-II®, Wella Professionals®, Braun® and a leading Prestige Fragrance division that spans from point of market entry consumers to high end luxury with global brands such as Hugo Boss®, Lacoste®, and Christina Aguilera®.  Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G (NYSE: PG) and its brands.

About GreenBlue and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition

GreenBlue is a nonprofit that equips business with the science and resources to make products more sustainable. Its largest project, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, is an industry working group of over 200 companies from across the packaging supply chain dedicated to a more robust environmental vision of packaging. For more information visit http://www.greenblue.org

SOURCE Pantene Pro-V