Circular Innovation
Sometimes, going in circles can be a good thing
We’re constantly working to make our Perfumery palette more circular than ever – innovating solutions that take less from the environment and preserving precious natural resources for the future.
Our circular approach helps customers respond to the growing pressure – from regulators and consumers alike – to move away from traditional linear value chains to a more future-positive way of creating, consuming, and disposing of the products we rely on. Here are some of the ways in which we’re helping to square the sustainable fragrance circle.
A sensory upgrade for upcycling
Waste doesn’t always stink. In fact, sometimes it smells delightful. And we should know – because we upcycle discarded raw materials and process byproducts to create more than 130 fragrance ingredients covering all olfactive families, and through different processes of transformation. Salvaged orange peels become appealing citrus scents, for example, while woodchips left over from furniture-making are used to give our Cedarwood Virginia essential oil its distinctive smell. By upcycling, we cut down on waste and maximize the value of our planet’s natural resources.
Putting nature to work through biotechnology
By harnessing nature’s remarkable biological processes and our own world-leading scientific know-how, we can use micro-organisms to produce chemicals via fermentation. We can deploy enzymes as biocatalysts to create chemicals and destroy hazardous substances. And we can use cellular and biomolecular processes to generate 100%-carbon-renewable and biodegradable. This mighty smart science helps us produce mighty delightful ingredients that are also affordable, available, and sustainable.
Groundbreaking eco-extraction via electromagnetic waves
Some scents used to be frustratingly elusive as perfumes – that is, until we found a way. We developed a propriotary technology that uses electromagnetic waves to create movement at the molecular level, releasing the natural signatures of everything from pear to pink pepper to lavandin – and leading to the creation of our legendary Firgood®. Crucially, this first-of-its kind technology requires no solvents, and offer upcycling opportunities for its residues to create new products with complementary profiles.
Bottling the beauty of nature
There’s nothing quite like the purity and intensity of the smell you get from nature in its wild state. And that’s exactly what we’ve succeeded in capturing in our NaturePrint® portfolio. To create the ingredients for this collection, we use “headspace technology” to capture, analyze its chemical composition, and reconstitute the fragrance. This process creates ingredients with no destruction of biomass – reducing the pressure on natural environments at 100%
A fresh approach to existing ingredients
It’s not just new ingredients we’re focusing on, however, with our SylverGreen™ innovation program – founded on the principles of Green Chemistry – we can improve the circularity of our existing portfolio. By switching petrochemistry processes for low-carbon, renewable, one-to-one replacements, we’re transforming our palette without compromising the olfactive experience. What’s more, dsm-firmenich has signed a joint development agreement with Bloom Biorenewables, focusing on the replacement of fossil-fuel derived molecules with low-carbon biobased molecules - to accelerate the decarbonization of the perfumery industry.
