Sustainability Starts at the Source: Irrigation-Free Sugarcane
If you look around the beauty industry, you’re likely to find the word “sustainability” strewn about. It reflects consumers’ emphases on a more eco-conscious life. In the U.S., 48% of consumers believe their behavior can make a positive impact on the environment. 46% of U.S. consumers say an understanding of how their purchase directly impacts the environment would encourage them to purchase eco-friendly products. They’re looking for small changes they can incorporate daily to make worldwide improvements.
At Aprinnova, we believe sustainability is an ever-evolving goal with a commitment to making the planet a better place. Instead of taking resources from the environment, we aim to create a net-positive process for people and the planet. In practice, sustainability starts by thoughtfully choosing feedstocks to ensure an ethical and sustainable supply chain. Our innovative, efficient technology can then maximize the feedstock’s potential.
In this article, you’ll learn how the microbes behind beer and bread making have transformed the beauty industry for the sustainable future.
Bio-Fermentation Turns the Rare into Abundant
Today, many ingredients in the beauty industry are sourced through unsustainable methods. Some examples include bio-based sources like palm oil or endangered sharks, as well as synthetic chemistry through petrochemicals. Bio-fermentation has the ability to change that. Bio-fermented ingredients can have the same complexity as plants and animals with the consistency, traceability, and scalability of petrochemistry. All of those benefits without the detrimental environmental impacts.
Our mission is to enable the beauty industry’s transition to sustainable, superior-performing ingredients through access to our innovative bio-fermentation. Our patented bio-fermentation technology uses Saccharomyces cerevisiae, better known as baker’s yeast. It’s a tiny microbe responsible for bread rising, beer brewing, and winemaking. This yeast uses sugarcane juice to create a wealth of beauty ingredients, sustainably.
We’ve scaled our bio-fermentation technology to create a selection of superior-performing beauty ingredients with the highest purity, consistent supply, and sustainability.
Patented Technology for the Best in Beauty
One of our first bio-fermented ingredients was Neossance™ Squalane — the best-performing Squalane, derived from renewable Brazilian sugarcane. In addition to being the ethical and sustainable option for emollients, Neossance Squalane promotes superior anti-aging benefits.
We use the power of bio-fermentation to efficiently produce Neossance™ Squalane from sustainable Bonsucro-certified sugarcane with zero toxic by-products. Bio-fermentation also offers high purity and consistent quality. Most importantly, its sustainability profile extends beyond the traditional sources of shark liver oil and olive.
Sustainable and Ethical Ingredient Manufacturing
A lifecycle analysis (LCA) demonstrates the superior sustainability of sugarcane, compared to olive-derived Squalane, in three key areas:
1. Low carbon footprint: The co-location of our mill and fermentation facility minimizes the carbon footprint. Waste products from sugarcane juicing (bagasse) are used for renewable energy.
2. Efficient land usage: Less than 0.1% of the sugarcane arable land could supply 100% of the world’s Squalane demand. That’s 585X less land than olive-derived Squalane. Additionally, our sugarcane grows on the coasts of Brazil, far from the rainforests. The distance from rainforests ensures our sugarcane never contributes to deforestation.
3. Minimal water consumption: Our manufacturing process uses 52X less water than olive-derived Squalane. That’s thanks to our irrigation-free feedstock. After the sugarcane bio-fermentation process, 60% of the water byproducts is returned to crops. 100% of the wastewater is non-hazardous.
Our sugarcane-derived Squalane shows how bio-fermentation can effectively reduce the impact on the environment.
Choose Sugarcane for Sustainability
Simply advertising sustainability does not resonate with today’s consumers. They want an entirely transparent production process, from ingredient origins to packaging.
Bio-fermentation creates a shift in the beauty industry’s production model. Instead of unsustainable sources, brands can now opt for ingredients with ethical and sustainable supply chains. Our LCA establishes the sustainability of sugarcane harvesting for Neossance Squalane. It has a low carbon footprint, saves land usage, and uses minimal water. Above all, Neossance Squalane offers high-performance benefits: fighting the signs of aging and evening skin tone.
Our expertise in bio-fermentation goes beyond beauty ingredients. We want to make the planet better one step at a time. It all starts with sustainable sugarcane.
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Sustainability Starts at the Source: Irrigation-Free Sugarcane If you look around the beauty industry, you’re likely to find the word “sustainability” strewn about. It reflects consumers’ emphases on a more eco-conscious life. [...]