Parfums Christian Dior Embraces Avantium’s Releaf for its eco-designed packaging

Avantium N.V., a leading company in renewable and circular polymers, announces a groundbreaking collaboration with PARFUMS CHRISTIAN DIOR, a pioneer in luxury industry innovation, and iconic Maison from LVMH Group (Moët, Hennessy, Louis Vuitton). Following three years of close collaboration between Avantium and LVMH Recherche and under LVMH’s offtake agreement with Avantium, PARFUMS CHRISTIAN DIOR will implement Releaf^®, Avantium’s brand name for the polymer PEF (polyethylene furanoate), in its packaging. Dior will be the first in the cosmetics industry to use this cutting-edge, 100% plant-based material for its primary packaging.

Avantium’s PEF, known under the brand name Releaf, is a fossil-free polymer material, which is fully recyclable through existing recycling streams. Releaf distinguishes itself through exceptional performance providing optimal protection for formulations while preserving their qualities. On Tuesday 22 October 2024, Avantium officially inaugurated the world’s first commercial plant in Delfzijl, Netherlands. Commercial production is anticipated to commence in 2025.

“LVMH Recherche is thrilled to have collaborated with Avantium on the development of PEF, a game-changing material that promises to reshape the cosmetics packaging industry in the coming years,” stated Karl Pays, Director of Research at LVMH Recherche. “Releaf perfectly aligns with Dior’s commitment to reducing its environmental footprint and offering more eco-designed products.”

Véronique COURTOIS, President and CEO of PARFUMS CHRISTIAN DIOR, comments: “For Parfums Christian Dior, this launch represents a major milestone in its commitment to incorporating sustainable materials into its products, all while upholding the House’s renowned standards of excellence and sophistication. This partnership with Avantium marks a significant step forward in our journey towards more sustainable practices.”

Tom van Aken, CEO of Avantium, adds: “We are excited to see our partnership with PARFUMS CHRISTIAN DIOR become a reality. Using PEF in Dior’s packaging highlights our mutual commitment to a sustainable future and showcases how Releaf can transform the cosmetics industry. For consumers, this means that they can enjoy high-quality, luxurious products that are also environmentally responsible, making a positive impact on the planet and supporting eco-friendly innovation.”

About Avantium

Avantium is a pioneering commercial-stage company focused on renewable & circular polymer materials. Avantium develops and commercialises innovative technologies for the production of materials based on sustainable carbon feedstocks, i.e. carbon from biomass or carbon from the air (CO₂). The most advanced technology is the YXY^®Technology that catalytically converts plant-based sugars into FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid), the key building block for the sustainable plastic PEF (polyethylene furanoate). PEF is known under the brand name Releaf^®, an EU registered trademark of Avantium. Avantium has successfully demonstrated the YXY^® Technology at its pilot plant in Geleen, the Netherlands, and is in the process of starting the world’s first commercial plant for FDCA in Delfzijl, the Netherlands. Avantium works in partnership with like-minded companies around the globe to create revolutionary renewable chemistry solutions from invention to commercial scale.

Avantium’s shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Brussels (symbol: AVTX). Avantium is incorporated in the Euronext Amsterdam SmallCap Index (AScX). Its offices and headquarters are in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

About PARFUMS CHRISTIAN DIOR

Christian Dior described himself as a fashion and perfume designer. The House of Dior, founded in 1946, changed the face of ladies’ style forever when its New Look was unveiled in the halls of 30 Avenue Montaigne on February 12, 1947. The revolutionary look was accompanied by a fragrance, Miss Dior, the finishing touch designed to “leave a trail of desire in a woman’s wake”. This timeless perfume was the first fragrance created by a visionary brand which invented the concept of global beauty with its Rouge Dior and subsequent cosmetic lines. The current-day trustees of this legendary expertise – Francis Kurkdjian, Perfume Creation Director, and Peter Philips, Creative and Image Director for Dior Makeup – are the heirs to Christian Dior’s perfectionism.

About LVMH Recherche

Serving all the beauties of the world, LVMH RECHERCHE is the visionary creator of exceptional makeup, skincare and perfume products for each House of the LVMH group. This research and innovation structure brings together 700 talents spread across 5 sites around the world. Guided by Excellence and their unique know-how, LVMH RECHERCHE talents create innovative, high-performance products with exceptional sensoriality and developed with the greatest respect for the environment. In a spirit of openness to the world, LVMH RECHERCHE is also part of an Open Innovation approach to detect and integrate the best technological advances into its products, in fields as varied as agroecology, biotechnologies, cell biology, advanced materials, new processes or artificial intelligence.