SUSTAINABILITY


3. Natural and naturally-derived formulations versus electric cars The final group is the natural or naturally- derived class of personal care formulations. In formulations, the raw materials are all either found in nature or derived from natural raw materials. This class of formulations achieves the goal of sustainability. Similarly with cars, electric cars are run using


electricity made increasingly from renewable sources and are more sustainable than cars fuelled from fossil sources.


Comparing apples with apples It is essential to separate metrics from goals and concepts. For example, biodegradation is a concept. A metric to evaluate biodegradation is the method defined in the OECD guidelines. There needs to be a collective understanding on which method is used and if raw materials or finished formulations should be tested. Likewise, renewability is a concept and a goal


that can be measured. One is the percentage of bio-carbon. While a good start, there other methods that evaluate more than just carbon. There are other methods as well. To design a more natural/sustainable


formulation, we must both define and meet sustainability requirements as defined by the consumer and produce data that supports a sustainable claim. We have chosen biodegradation, renewability, availability and green chemistry principles (BRAG).6


The


establishment of a single metric is difficult since we currently lack a single set of requirements.


The BRAG approach BRAG is an acronym formed from the initial letters of the procedures used to establish an indication of sustainability. The areas of evaluation are (B) iodegradation, (R)enewable, (A)vailable and (G)reen - specifically the 12 principles of green chemistry.10 Figure 2 illustrates the four aspects of the BRAG evaluation.


1. Biodegradability The accumulation of chemicals in our


■ Biodegradable ■ Renewable ■ Available ■ Green


Figure 2: The BRAG Approach www.personalcaremagazine.com April 2023 PERSONAL CARE Figure 1: Sustainable development


environment including water, air and soil are areas that must be evaluated as we select ingredients for our formulations. There are different processes that are at play in each of the three different oftentimes interconnected processes. Raw materials present in a formulation often


are found partitioning in the air, water and soil. This can alter the results of evaluation the concentration of a material present in the overall environment. According to the OECD,7


biodegradation


(biotic degradation, biotic decomposition) is the “chemical degradation of contaminants by bacteria or other biological means and is often referred to as the natural method of degrading discharged chemicals.


“Most biodegradation systems operate


under aerobic conditions, but a system under anaerobic conditions may permit microbial organisms to degrade chemical species that are otherwise nonresponsive to aerobic treatment and vice versa. “Thus, biodegradation is a natural process


(or a series of processes) by which spilled chemicals or other waste material can be broken down (degraded) into nutrients that can be used by other organisms. The ability of a chemical to be biodegraded is an indispensable element in the understanding of the risk posed by that chemical on the environment. Biodegradation is a key process in the natural attenuation (reduction or disposal) of chemicals”.


129


Biodegradable


Polymers are evaluated in all the BRAG requirements.


They are derived from natural renewable, biodegradable, plant based raw materials, are catalyst free and are available at stable pricing.


The 12 principles of Green Chemistry are followed


Available


Renewable


Green


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