GC3 invites green beauty tech startups to apply for upcoming showcase

17-Jan-2019 - Last updated on 17-Jan-2019 at 18:24 GMT

The Green Chemistry & Commerce Council is accepting applications for chemistry technology solutions and new ingredients that meet the needs of major companies—needs like UV filters with low aquatic toxicity and naturally derived hair conditioning agents—that finalists will present to investors, tech scouts, and companies in May.

The Green Chemistry & Commerce Council was established in 2005; and, according to the council’s website, “is a multi-stakeholder collaborative that drives the commercial adoption of green chemistry by catalyzing and guiding action across all industries, sectors and supply chains.”

Current membership comprises close to 150 corporations, startups, consultants, and government agencies, including beauty manufacturers L’Oréal USA, Estee Lauder Companies, Beiersdorf, Colgate-Palmolive, P&G, Unilever, and Johnson & Johnson; ingredient makers BASF, AkzoNobel, Covestro, Croda, and Amyris, as well as retailers and brands such as Beautycounter, Sephora, CVS, and Mother Dirt.

Call for applicants

This week the council issued a call for applicants to the upcoming GC3 Startup Network’s 4th Annual Technology Showcase, which takes place annually as part of the group’s Innovators Roundtable event.

And, as the council’s media release explains, “The competition will consider chemistry technologies that can improve human and ecological health impacts, enhance energy efficiency, reduce environmental emissions and reduce waste generation, even if the application is not on the list of sustainable chemistry technology needs.”

Technology needs

In hopes of guiding applicants to share new tech that meets the most pressing needs of various industries, a wish list of sorts has been complied by the GC3. “Brands, retailers, and manufacturers are seeking sustainable solutions in a range of categories….The list of sustainable chemistry technology needs also includes ingredients such as surfactants and fragrance raw materials for formulated consumer products,” notes the council’s media release.

The specific cosmetics, personal care, and fragrance innovations of interest to GC3 members follow:

Alternatives for cationic poly-electrolytes…that are biodegradable and have low ecotoxicity
Antimicrobials and preservatives that are non-sensitizing
Antimicrobials or technologies that are non-biocidal
Biodegradable alternatives for polyacrylate-based chemistry
Biodegradable chelating agents
Chemistries to prepare ethanolamides without the use of ethylene oxide
Fragrance raw materials that are non-sensitizing with a low risk of biodiversity loss
Hair conditioning agents that are naturally derived
Mineral oil alternatives that are biodegradable and/or natural origin oils
Surfactants that are amphiphilic
Surfactants that are anaerobically biodegradable
Surfactants that are bio-based with low aquatic toxicity
UV Filters/ light stabilizer ingredients with low aquatic toxicity

This year’s deadline is February 1st. To learn more or apply to the GC3 Technology Showcase, click here.

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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.