Unilever and Bio-on formed a strategic partnership to develop, produce and sell personal hygiene and care products that guarantee a smaller or no environmental impact. Using patented bio-technologies for natural, biodegradable microplastics production, Unilever and Bio-on insist they are taking an important step toward building a more sustainable economy and more responsible consumption in the personal care sector. The companies say that this collaboration is designed to meet the demands of consumers, who are increasingly concerned about sustainability and making purchasing choices that respect the environment, while making the most of the skills and excellence at both companies. Unilever's  knowledge and large-scale presence on the personal care market with noted brands such as  Mentadent, Dove, Zendium, Glysolid, and Sunsilk, teams up with the know-how of  Bio-on, the Italian company listed on the AIM segment of Borsa Italiana and specialized in biotechnologies applied to widely used materials, to create completely natural products and solutions.


"For Unilever, developing a partnership with such an excellent Italian company as Bio-on is an important step the goals we have set ourselves with Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, primarily to halve the environmental impact of our products by 2030," explained Fulvio Guarneri, chairman and chief executive officer, Unilever Italia. "This collaboration makes us very proud because it is one of the most important examples through which Unilever is making concrete moves toward sustainability in our business strategy."


According to Marco Astorri, chairman and CEO, Bio-on, research into innovative products and cutting-edge formulations that respect the environment and people is now a priority in the personal care sector. Bio-on will work with Unilever through two new companies which will focus 100% on exploiting exclusive technologies to develop, produce and supply personal care products.


Bio-On S.p.A., an Italian Intellectual Property Company (IPC), operates in the bioplastic sector conducting applied research and development of modern bio-fermentation technologies in the field of eco-sustainable and completely naturally biodegradable materials. In particular, Bio-On develops industrial applications through the creation of product characterizations, components and plastic items. Since February 2015, Bio-On S.p.A. has also been operating in the development of natural and sustainable chemicals for the future. Bio-On has developed an exclusive process for the production of a family of polymers called PHAs (polyhydroxyalkanoates) from agricultural waste (including molasses and sugar cane and sugar beet syrups). The bioplastic produced in this way is able to replace the main families of traditional plastics in terms of performance, thermo-mechanical properties and versatility. Bio-On PHAs is a bioplastic that can be classified as 100% natural and completely biodegradable: this has been certified by Vincotte and by the United States Department of Agriculture.