Global prestige beauty company Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) and specialty materials provider Eastman announced today a global memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at enabling ELC to significantly increase its use of sustainable packaging.

Under the terms of the agreement, ELC and its portfolio of brands will begin incorporating packaging solutions enabled by Eastman’s molecular recycling technologies and portfolio of Renew resins with up to 100% certified recycled content. According to Eastman, its newly introduced line of molecularly recycled polyesters are made using up to 100% International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) certified recycled content and are chemically indistinguishable from their legacy counterparts.

Roberto Magana, Senior Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer for The Estée Lauder Companies, said:

“Our suppliers play a critical role in helping The Estée Lauder Companies continue to move the needle and think innovatively about sustainability. Eastman’s molecular recycling technologies and portfolio of Renew products will help drive the achievement of the company’s sustainable packaging goals while maintaining the high-quality aesthetic, safety and performance of our prestige products. We look forward to collaborating with them.”

ELC stated that the MOU will enable the company to take significant strides towards its 2025 sustainable packaging goals, including a commitment to have 75-100% of its packaging be recyclable, refillable, reusable, recycled or recoverable, and to increase the amount of post-consumer recycled material in its packaging by up to 50%.

The deal also marks first sustainability-based agreement between Eastman and a major prestige beauty house and will help drive the increased use of recycled and/or recyclable plastics in luxury cosmetics packaging, according to the companies.

Scott Ballard, Vice President and General Manager for Eastman’s specialty plastics division, said:

“We are proud to partner with The Estée Lauder Companies, one of the world’s most iconic prestige beauty companies and a true leader in sustainability. We are excited to help them achieve their ambitious sustainability goals right now. Together, we can provide a shining example of what is possible today—not years in the future—to advance the circular economy.”