The perfume industry dates back centuries, during which it has developed until it reached its current method of production. It has raised many environmental concerns due to the raw materials, manufacturing methods, packaging, and even waste disposal.
How does the perfume industry affect the environment?
Conventional perfumes often contain chemicals and synthetic fragrances, many of which are derived from petrochemicals that are harmful to the environment and skin. These chemicals can release volatile organic compounds that contribute to air pollution, according to a study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Perfume manufacturing often requires energy- and water-intensive processes, which can strain local resources and contribute to resource degradation, as well as packaging methods that rely on expensive boxes and harmful plastic components.
Improper disposal of perfumes is also a major problem because chemicals can leach into soil and water systems, and the American Chemical Society notes that pollutants from personal care products, including perfumes, can have negative impacts on wildlife and aquatic life.
Beyond environmental threats, perfumes can pose health risks, especially for people with allergies as the ingredients in many perfumes can cause skin irritation.
Sustainable Perfumes
Throughout the history of the perfume industry there have always been accusations of exploiting the environment's resources, so some perfume companies have started to take environmentally friendly solutions.
Organic and sustainable perfumes have emerged. It relies on natural essential oils and organic ingredients such as roses and organic oils that encourage sustainable and organic agriculture, free of pesticides and harmful chemicals, in order to protect environmental resources in the long term.
Companies are shifting towards sustainable packaging and less environmentally harmful packaging methods such as refillable bottles, biodegradable materials, and moving away from plastic to reduce waste and recycle empty containers in a beneficial way.
Major brands have been adopting sustainability standards in the perfume industry, including Stella McCartney, which has developed seven 100% natural plant-based perfumes.
Sustainable Laboratory Perfumes
One of the most important challenges facing the sustainable perfume industry is securing natural and organic sources at good prices, so some scientific innovations made in university laboratories may be considered a revolution in the perfume industry, because they produce available and low-cost perfume materials that combat the world's pressing environmental challenges.
In this context, we review two experiences that were able to adopt new and unconventional methods:
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology's Innovation
The distinctive woody scent of oud has achieved great fame in the Arab world as a base for classic perfumes. They are closely linked to cultural identity, so it is considered one of the best-selling ingredients in the Arab and international perfume market.
The authentic scent derived from the fragrant resin of agarwood is a diminishing and increasingly expensive resource, putting some tree species at risk of extinction due to over-harvesting and deforestation, so oud products have been banned in many countries.
Several months ago, scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia succeeded in developing a sustainable alternative to wild agarwood, using genetically modified algae, applying the principles of green chemistry to produce a synthetic version of the scent of oud.
Scientists at the university examined 58 samples of agarwood to understand its chemical structure, and were able to identify nine key chemicals that can be reproduced by genetically modified algae, in order to obtain the basis for the complex scent of agarwood.
The university team is working on scaling up the process to make synthetic perfume in sufficient quantities for perfume makers to use, and in a way that ensures that the synthetic oud scent is well received in the markets. It is a simple and low-cost process that provides a sustainable alternative that protects trees and environmental resources for an industry that relies heavily on diminishing natural resources.
University of Edinburgh Innovation
Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have succeeded in extracting a chemical with a pine scent that can be used as a primary ingredient in the perfume industry. Some describe the technology used in this process as a new industrial revolution. The success of this experiment also provides a great service to the environment because it helps in recycling waste and making the future more sustainable.
By adopting the field of bioengineering, scientists have been able to develop a method to purify sewage drains from huge fat masses, and use them to produce pleasant-smelling perfumes.
Greasy blobs are solid waste that has congealed in drains, such as wet wipes, accumulated fats and food waste that people throw into sewers, which form huge clumps that can cause drains to become clogged
Professor Stephen Wallace, a professor at the University of Edinburgh, has invented a new method to remove blockages from drains and turn them into a fragrant chemical in several steps, according to the website.
First, Professor Wallace obtains the fat mass from a company that specializes in extracting these masses from sewage and converting them into biofuel. These masses arrive at the lab via sterile tubes.
In the second step, Professor Wallace sterilizes the material in a steamer, then adds a special strain of genetically modified bacteria that breaks down the fat mass, until the fat mountain gradually disappears, resulting in a chemical with a pine-like scent that can be used as an ingredient in perfumes.
Professor Wallace explains that bacteria love fat, so he reprogrammed the bacteria to eat the fat that accumulates in the fat deposits, and turn it into something useful.
Although this method is not yet commercially viable, Professor Wallace is working with two perfume companies who are interested in the process because it is more sustainable than the traditional method that involves chemicals extracted from fossil fuels.
Professor Wallace told Vice that it seems like a crazy idea, but it is successful in offsetting the cost of cleaning drains and making environmentally friendly perfumes, thus representing an important solution to the climate crisis and creating a more sustainable future for future generations.
