Independent global specialty ingredients company Inolex is guided by the Principles of Green Chemistry and ingredient lifecycles, balancing science and nature to create sustainable ingredients. The supplier recently achieved a Silver EcoVadis Medal and is deepening its commitment to sustainability with the creation of a dedicated sustainability role and the launch of biodegradable sample packaging. 

"While noteworthy on their own, together these initiatives signal a new level of focus and allocation of resources to address issues that are material to our company and to our partners within the beauty care supply chain," notes Ted Laarkamp, VP Global Supply Chain.

In January, Inolex officially established a newly defined sustainability role, promoting Audrey Wesson as the company's Corporate Sustainability Manager. In this role, Wesson will lead the development of the company's long-term sustainability program.

"By creating a dedicated role to manage our sustainability platform, we will be better positioned to collect and analyze data, establish meaningful targets, and advance us on our journey to become a more responsible global citizen through the work that we do," said Lisa Gandolfi, VP Marketing.

Inolex views its sustainable impact through a holistic lens. An example of this approach is the transition to new eco-friendly packaging consisting of recycled, recyclable, biodegradable, and naturally derived materials in the packing ingredient samples and formulation prototypes from the company's global sample center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Traditional polystyrene foam used to protect glass jars has been replaced with biobased foam by Green Cell Foam, a material made from non-GMO corn starch that is fully biodegradable. A variety of upcycled and recycled paper has been implemented for padding and envelopes, as well as 100% biodegradable packing peanuts that dissolve in water. 

"All of these initiatives are in step with continuously aligning business practices around ESG issues and demonstrate that we are making bolder moves to advance the sustainability of our company," said Laarkamp.