Like many out there, we were intrigued by the news that Brad Pitt and Kiehl's are collaborating on a body cleansing product that is 100% eco-friendly.  Sales profits from the product will go to JPF Eco Systems, a nonprofit started by Pitt and Kiehl's to "minimize impact on the environment through thoughtful design."

Reportedly, Pitt was heavily influence by Cradle to Cradle, a book which calls for the transformation of human industry through ecologically intelligent design.

This is great news for those among us concerned with the environmental impact of consumer products.  While demand for environmental and sustainable products and packaging continues to grow, such a celebrity initiative could serve as a "tipping point" for mainstream consumer demand for environmentally conscious product innovation.  In fact, some speculate that JPF Eco Systems could turn into a Product (RED)-type organization that redirects corporate products to environmentally-focused initiatives beyond just the one product.

As has been discussed several times in this blog, low energy electron beams can enable several environmental and sustainable solutions for consumer products and packaging, including:

• Provides alternative consumer packaging sterilization technique, replacing preservative based techniques
• Reduces amount of raw material required for packaging
• Eliminates chemical sterilization and rinse water utilization with a cold, dry aseptic process
• Facilitates solvent-free coating formulations for packaging, with no VOCs generated
• Enables improved recyclability of some polymers