Unilever is trialling the use of unwanted plants and flowers to make fragrances for some of its products.
The Dove owner is working with scientists at the University of Nottingham to launch the pilot as a way to make cost-effective ingredients by using plants that would otherwise go to waste.
These experts have started extracting oils from petunias, roses and marigolds.
The consumer giant said the ambition is to test these oils for use in brands’ home care and personal care products, such as shampoos and cleaning products.
Currently, it uses a combination of raw materials derived from natural sources or petrochemicals – compounds derived from fossil fuels.
Fluctuations in seasonal demand for flowers as well as quality issues are among the reasons that many tonnes can go to waste each year, Unilever said.
To tackle the issue, Bridge Farm Group in Spalding, Lincolnshire, which sells 90 million plants to UK retailers annually, is working with the consumer giant to store flowers it cannot sell.
The farmers there are extending the plants’ lives in a 60-acre greenhouse long enough for them to be recycled into raw ingredients in a lab.
Scientists are then using a more energy-efficient version of the Soxhlet method – a traditional extraction process, which involves flowers being heated in a device to remove the essential oils.
They are speeding up the method by adding ultrasonication, which uses soundwaves to disrupt cell walls and deliver greater yields.
Unilever said the accelerated process takes just 20 minutes to extract the compounds, which is 40% faster than the traditional method.
Neil Parry, Unilever’s head of biotechnology, said: “Fragrance is an incredibly important part of our experience when we use products in our homes or on our bodies.
“Using the latest in biotech and biosourcing principles, we see huge potential to create a circular economy for plants by extracting valuable ingredients and creating a diverse selection of new and sustainable fragrances.
“Plants that don’t make the grade still have valuable materials with functional benefits and could reduce our impact on the environment.
“Finding multiple uses for farm waste is crucial for sustainable ingredient and product sourcing.”
Previous University of Nottingham research showed that extracting these materials could reduce reliance on petrochemical-derived ingredients.
It also found that repurposing unwanted flowers and waste into fragrance ingredients has the potential to help reduce emissions.
Parimala Shivaprasad, assistant professor at the university, said: “Through our collaboration with Unilever and Bridge Farm Group, we’re aiming to test the feasibility of using flower essential oils in fragrances to further decarbonise everyday products.
“At the labs in Nottingham, we’re developing energy-efficient extraction methods and enzyme-based modifications, while also evaluating the practicality and cost-effectiveness of using plant waste as a raw material.
“This project showcases the potential of cutting-edge science and technology processes to create sustainable solutions for the future.”
Besides essential oils, Unilever said it also hopes to reduce waste by extracting ingredients and compounds for fragrances called terpenes, lactones and ethers.
The consumer giant added that it is also exploring opportunities to extract other high-value ingredients such as complex sugars for textile care in cleaning products and malodour neutralisation for personal care products.
