L’Oréal has launched L’AcceleratOR, a €100 million sustainable innovation program designed to accelerate scalable solutions addressing climate, nature, and circularity challenges. Run over five years in partnership with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), the program will support pilot-ready technologies and enable selected companies to develop and scale solutions across L’Oréal’s global operations.
Among the 13 change makers selected for the first cohort, six companies are focused on next-generation packaging and materials. Estonia-based RAIKU is developing wood-based protective and shock-absorbing packaging designed to replace fossil-based foams in transport and e-commerce applications, offering a recyclable and biodegradable alternative for protective packaging.
UK-based Kelpi is working with seaweed-derived materials to create recyclable, low-carbon packaging, targeting plastic reduction through the use of fast-growing marine biomass. Bioworks, headquartered in Japan, is producing bio-based plastics from sugarcane and other plant-derived feedstocks, providing renewable material options for consumer packaging applications.
Packaging closures are addressed by Sweden’s Blue Ocean Closures, which is developing fibre-based caps and lids as alternatives to plastic closures, while maintaining compatibility with existing bottling and recycling systems. Pulpex of the UK is advancing recyclable paper bottle technology aimed at replacing rigid plastic bottles for liquid products, particularly in beauty and personal care. Process innovation is represented by Sweden’s PULPAC, which has developed a dry-formed moulded fibre process that reduces water and energy consumption compared with conventional wet-moulded fibre production.
The remaining companies selected under L’AcceleratOR are Biosynthis, P2 Science, Oberon Fuels, Novobiom, REPLACE, Gàs Verde, and Neutreeno—are working on nature-sourced ingredients, circular waste conversion, renewable energy, and emissions data solutions, extending the program’s sustainability scope beyond packaging.