CJ Biomaterials, a division of South Korea-based CJ CheilJedang and a primary producer of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), has developed cosmetic packaging for CJ Olive Young, a market-leading health and beauty retail chain in Korea. CJ Olive Young has 1,200 stores across Korea and a global network in 150 countries.
The new cosmetic case uses CJ Biomaterials’ amorphous PHA technology in combination with polylactic acid (PLA) and will be sold under Olive Young’s popular private brand, WAKEMAKE. Launched in Korea on December 21st, the ‘WAKEMAKE Water Velvet Vegan Cushion’ uses vegan cosmetic ingredients and eco-friendly bio-based packaging.
PLA has experienced significant growth as a bio-based material in a broad range of finished product applications and is currently the most widely used industrial compostable material in the world, but it has certain limitations. Blending amorphous PHA in PLA leads to significant improvements in the mechanical properties of PLA, such as toughness and ductility leading to improved impact resistance and the creation of elegant shapes. CJ Biomaterials’ amorphous PHA is a softer, more rubbery version of PHA that offers fundamentally different performance characteristics than the crystalline or semi-crystalline forms that currently dominate the PHA market.
The 100% bio-sourced solution of amorphous PHA and PLA materials were applied to the entire outside of the WAKEMAKE container, replacing acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS); a petroleum-based, non-biodegradable plastic.
“This is an important milestone for CJ Biomaterials, and we expect that the application of bio-based materials in the consumer goods market will expand beyond the release of the WAKEMAKE cushion,” says Seung-Jin Lee, Head of the Biomaterials business from CJ CheilJedang. “We will widely promote the use of PHA in various markets, as it is an eco-friendly material that is effective for industrial-scale use. We are proud that our PHA products—which are derived from nature and return to nature—are helping to meet the growing demands from brands and consumers for more environmentally friendly products.”
Earlier this year, the company expanded its biomaterials business by establishing relationships with global organizations, including NatureWorks, Yuhan-Kimberly, the ACCOR hotel chain, and the makeup brand Banilla Co., which plans to launch cosmetics with containers made from bio-sourced materials in early 2023.
