Beiersdorf reduces CO2e footprint of deodorant aerosol cans

Taking a further step towards sustainability, climate protection and circularity, Beiersdorf announced that in 2023/2024, all deodorant cans in the European assortment of NIVEA, 8X4, Hidrofugal and Hansaplast will contain at least 50% recycled aluminum and will weigh 11.6% less thanks to material reduction. This will reduce CO_2e emissions in the aerosol can value chain by around 58%, said the company, corresponding to a reduction of around 30 tons of CO_2e per year.

The move brings the company closer to reaching the climate target set with its CARE BEYOND SKIN Sustainability Agenda to completely reduce its CO_2e emissions across Scope 1, 2 and 3 by 30% by 2025. Additionally, Beiersdorf’s new state-of-the-art production center in Leipzig, Germany, has the technology to process lighter cans, according to the company. 

“The facility meets the highest environmental standards and was built with a modular, flexible design to be able to adapt to new technologies, consumer demands and market developments,” said Stephan Roelen, Plant Manager of Beiersdorf Manufacturing Leipzig.

The successful implementation of this reduction in CO_2e emissions is the result of a dedicated collaboration between Beiersdorf and leading packaging producers in the aerosol sector. The recycled material used is sourced from the European market. It is remelted and processed into aerosol cans, which Beiersdorf then uses for its products, such as deodorants.

This process allows aluminum to be recycled an infinite number of times without losing its high-quality properties as a packaging material. It is light, stable, easy to shape and provides protection for the product. In addition, the recycling approach creates new perspectives for the circular economy and significantly reduces energy consumption compared to the production of primary aluminum.

Weight reduction and the sourcing of primary material from “Green production” are further levers for reducing the CO_2e footprint. Beiersdorf, together with its packaging suppliers, is now also exploring these opportunities in Europe, said the company. On a global scale and beyond the deodorant assortment, the portfolio of aluminum packaging is going to be converted in the coming years to achieve the company’s ambitious sustainability targets by 2025.

Beiersdorf’s new plant in Leipzig-Seehausen, where the production of cosmetic/ personal care products for the European market is currently being ramped up, is making a key contribution to implementing the group’s “Climate Care” strategy with its state-of-the-art production technology. Thanks to the exclusive use of renewable energies and the use of biogas for heat generation, the plant operates on a virtually CO_2e-neutral basis. There are even plans to expand the plant into an “Energy+” site, Beiersdorf said, wchih would generate more energy than what would be consumed through the plant’s own renewable energy generation.

In the future, Leipzig will not only produce NIVEA brand deodorants, hair sprays and shaving foams, but also aerosol products of 8X4, Hidrofugal and Hansaplast for the European market. According to a statement from Beiersdorf, the production center can recover and recycle valuable resources such as heat, wastewater and ethanol to a high degree. It also offers new possibilities for filling lightweight aerosol cans; to be able to handle this lighter packaging made of recycled aluminum in the production process, vacuum depalletizers have been installed. They transport the lightweight empty cans in layers and particularly gently from the pallets to the production line, without damaging them, said the company.