One more step towards SustainabilityInterview with Tracy Feehan, Global Marketing Director NIVEA Body Cleansing

Yes, sure. Our new NIVEA Fresh Blends are actually the most sustainable NIVEA product that we have to date. The formula is 90% naturally derived and 98% biodegradable. But not only the inside of this new product range is quite sustainable, the packaging also: the bottle is made out of recycled PET. 

Well, in parts yes, but with advancing technology and increasing acceptance from consumers, we wanted to push this forward also in order to contribute to the overall company target to reach 30% recycled content across all plastic packaging by 2025. Supply Chain worked with their suppliers in order to secure our rPET demands, because as we needed quite an amount of material and all of it in the exact same quality definition. As well, recycled PET comes with a slightly greyish color, so we had to work on a color scheme that accepts these nuances well.

Our NIVEA Fresh Blend Shower products are made for millennials. So, it was important when we developed the product and the communication materials for it, that we speak to this young audience in the right way and to use touch points and media channels that are relevant to them. Digital, specifically YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat play an important role in our campaign. Beyond product benefit-focused content we also highlight the sustainability aspects of the product and our NIVEA commitment towards sustainability. The millennials are the most active consumers when it comes to sustainability issues.

I used to work in an organic yogurt business for many years. Hence, I have been involved in the “sustainability world” for quite some time. My greatest appreciation is nature – I’m from Canada, where we have a lot of rivers, lakes, trees and forests. Nature is where I go to unwind and relax. For me, the key of all sustainability efforts is that we need to preserve our precious and beautiful planet for future generations. So, it didn’t happen accidentally that I started my career in the organic food industry.

That is something that I feel proud of, that I could bring my sustainability passion into my Beiersdorf job. It’s a passion of mine and I love sharing it with others. In my role at NIVEA I can bring my ideas and issues on the table and with regard to sustainability, me and my team have made great progress to make our entire NIVEA Body Cleansing portfolio more sustainable.

We have been moving forward a lot in the past years. We completely stopped the use of polyethylene peeling particles in 2015 and replaced them with biodegradable alternatives. We were among the first movers with this in the industry. Then, last year, in 2019, we eliminated synthetic opacifiers (microplastics) from our product formulas, with the result that we are 99% biodegradable now. That’s excellent really, we’re quite proud of this important milestone. Until the end of 2020, we want to have our whole assortment switched to recycled bottles and caps. This will be great step towards our “Plastic Pledge” that aims to achieve 30% recycled content in our plastic packaging globally by 2025. 

Thank you, Tracy, for these great insights.

Katrin has been working at Beiersdorf since 2003. After various positions in marketing, strategy, digital and PR, she is since September 2018 Senior Communication Manager and responsible for the topic of sustainability. For Katrin, sustainability has a high personal relevance, since it changes the world for the better – and she contributes by communicating about it. Her communication is very passionate and she tries to also push the topic forward. In her private life, she is constantly seeking new ways and means to live a more sustainable lifestyle and inspire others with it.