IFSCC 2023 Sustainable Actions

Sustainability Challenge supported by L’Oréal and SEQC

On September 7^th, 2023 during the last day of the 33^rd IFSCC Congress, the Sociedad Española de Químicos Cosméticos (SEQC) and supported by L’Oréal Research & Innovation hosted a “Sustainable Challenge” at the congress venue.
We invited cosmetics and beauty innovators with a sustainable technology, engineering, or design solution that met the needs of responsible cosmetic to participate in the challenge.
We received more than 20 applications and selected 8 finalists that were invited to present their innovation in the Sustainable Challenge on Thursday September 7^th in Barcelona.
Prizes:
– 8 Finalists received an exhibition area day pass to the IFSCC Congress 2023 to present their Innovation Showcase and one announcement on IFSCC Barcelona congress social media.
– 1 Winner will receive a full registration ticket to the IFSCC 2024 Congress in Brazil and an additional post, winner announcement on IFSCC Barcelona congress social media. Finally, the jury decided to award two of the finalists for their great contribution.

2023 Sustainability Challenge winners:

THE UNSEEN Beauty

https://theunseenbeauty.co.uk/

We are beauty pioneers – inspired by science, art, design, nature and the world around us. Drawing on diverse disciplines and blending specialisms, we discover new ideas and create true innovations impossible through conventional product development.

We are a collaborative community creating a movement in beauty – bringing together people who, like us, have an insatiable curiosity to explore the world.

From transformational hair colour to first-of-a-kind colour innovations in makeup, we create products that change what’s possible – sparking conversations, subverting expectations and highlighting issues to reveal ideas hiding in plain sight.

We are a collection of scientists, strategists & creatives united by an endless curiosity to see the world in new ways.

Today we are 13 employees working together out of our studio in Dalston, East London.

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Lignovations

https://lignovations.com/

Lignovations is unlocking the natural power of lignin to accelerate the transition to a sustainable society.

We develop and manufacture high-performance natural ingredients from biomass lignin to make consumer products healthier and more sustainable.

Lignin is a powerful material that protects plants from negative influences such as UV radiation, oxidation and microbial attacks. Lignovations patented technology unlocks lignin’s protective functionalities for consumer products.

LignoGuard,® the world’s first and only commercially available Colloidal Lignin Particles, provide the industry with a sustainable and powerful alternative to fossil-based functional ingredients for high-value applications.

Find below the finalists of the Sustainability Challenge and their presentations:

ALGAKTIV
Algica from Swedish Algae Factory
Calyxia
Lignovations
Organic Bioactives
THE UNSEEN Beauty
Zalabí

Poster Recycling Corner

All Posters were available through the Congress app and physical display during the 3 days of the Congress. A sustainable action was conducted to recycle printed posters, donating to a non-profit organization that will plant trees for each poster recycled.

The commitment of the congress organization was to make the congress as sustainable as possible. Due to the environmental impact of the use and printing of each of the posters that were exhibited during the event, we were committed to help offset this impact by making a financial contribution to Sèlvans, an NGO dedicated to the conservation and care of ancient forests (https://selvans.ong/?lang=en).

During the last day of the Congress, there were paper shredders in the Poster rooms where the posters were exhibited and, for each poster shredded, the Spanish Society of Cosmetic Chemists contributed financially to preserve 40 m²of forest, i.e. a forest size 40 times larger than the shredded poster. The main condition for contributing was for the author to get the poster printed on 100% recyclable, non-photographic, plasticized or laminated paper.

Finally, the congress organization managed to have 94 posters shredded during the last day of the congress. As a result, the Spanish Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SEQC) has made a donation of €3,000 to preserve the forest.

Sustainable Social Events

In line with the organization of the Congress and the SEQC’s commitment to make the Congress as sustainable as possible, the social events were carefully organized to be sustainable while maintaining an elegant atmosphere. We used km 0 (slow food) and seasonal products served in reusable, recyclable and non-polluting materials.

The Spanish Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SEQC) has offset 21 tons of CO2 on behalf of the 33^rd IFSCC Congress by investing in the project: Southern Cardamom REDD+, Cambodia, which is certified under the registry of VCS-VERRA, officially audited and validated.

The Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program is the world’s most widely used greenhouse gas (GHG) crediting program. It drives finance toward activities that reduce and remove emissions, improve livelihoods, and protect nature. VCS projects have reduced or removed nearly one billion tons of carbon and other GHG emissions from the atmosphere.

Under the VCS Program, projects are issued unique carbon credits known as Verified Carbon Units or VCUs. Each VCU represents a reduction or removal of one tone of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) achieved by a project. VCUs are characterized by a number of quality assurance principles which are confirmed through the project validation and verification process and Verra’s review and approval. VCUs are ultimately purchased and retired by an end user as a means of offsetting their emissions.

Verra certify that on September 7^th, 2023, 21 Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) were retired on behalf of the 33^rd IFSCC Congress.