Kao starts cooperation with sustainability start-up TRASH2TREASURE for the recycling of packaging materials

- Kao and TRASH2TREASURE launch innovative pilot project for the upcycling of unused packaging materials
- With Kao as the first external industry partner, TRASH2TREASURE produces keeper boxes from unused PET bottles for the solid shampoos of Kao's hair care brand Guhl
- The collaboration underpins Kao's zero waste commitment as a key part of the company's global sustainability strategy, the Kirei Lifestyle Plan
- The keeper boxes will be available as an on-pack give away with the Guhl solid shampoos in drugstores from mid-May 

Kao is starting a collaboration with Frankfurt-based non-profit business TRASH2TREASURE for the recycling of packaging materials. The sustainability start-up specialises in turning supposed waste into high-quality and sustainably designed products and thus recycling packaging in a meaningful and stylish way. The cooperation starts with a joint pilot project for the hair care brand Guhl and is to be extended to other Kao brands in the future.
 
"At Guhl, we are always looking for new ways to reduce our ecological footprint, but also to enable our consumers to live a sustainable lifestyle and to show that beauty and sustainability can very well be combined," says Armin Haery, Marketing Director Kao Consumer Division DACH. "To this end, we want to specifically try out new things and cooperate with partners who share this goal. When we had PET bottles left after switching to more sustainable bottles with recycled rPET, it was clear to us that we would not simply dispose of them. With TRASH2TREASURE, we have now found a way to recycle them in a meaningful way - as a keeper box for our Guhl solid shampoos. It's a solution that's not only sustainable, durable and well designed, but also adds real value for consumers by making our solid shampoos easier to store and transport."

"We founded our business in order to, together with industry partners, develop new, innovative ways of recycling and upcycling supposed waste materials," says Astrid Haury of TRASH2TREASURE. "We want to raise people's awareness that sustainability and recycling can very well go hand in hand with quality and design. Kao, with its strong focus on reducing and recycling plastic and exciting brands like Guhl, is an ideal partner for us and we would like to expand our cooperation in the future."
 
Cooperation underpins Kao's global sustainability strategy and Guhl's sustainable product and packaging concept

As part of its 4R programme to reduce, replace, reuse and recycle plastic, Kao is increasingly focusing on innovative ways of working and partnerships in addition to classic strategies. "We are convinced that we can only bring about real change if we think openly and innovatively and are not afraid to test new strategies," says Nicola Bäuerle, Director of Sustainability for Kao's consumer business in the Americas and Europe. "Collaboration with partners and experts plays a big role for us on the way to zero waste, one of the main goals of our sustainability strategy at Kao."

For Guhl, the collaboration with TRASH2TREASURE is another step in firmly embedding the iconic hair care brand's commitment to sustainability into its brand core. "By switching to shampoo bottles with 50% rPET, we have already taken an important step towards more sustainable packaging in January 2019," says Armin Haery. "With the solid shampoos that are not only up to 95% biodegradable* and plastic-free, but also twice as economic as conventional shampoos, we have reached another milestone this year. In the future, the brand will position itself more strongly in this area and at the same time focus on its origins. We want to show that we can combine a strong tradition with innovative products that address environmental awareness and consumer needs in the same way."
* Based on the organic ingredients of the formulation according to OECD guidelines.