Colgate-Palmolive Employs Erthos' AI-Driven Platform for Digital Toothpaste Pack Renderings
Colgate-Palmolive, the renowned consumer goods company, has announced a partnership with Greyparrot and Erthos to revolutionise its approach to sustainable packaging. This move is considered a significant step forward in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to help consumer brands adopt new materials and tackle plastic waste.
Last year, Colgate-Palmolive expressed concerns about industry-wide challenges related to flexible packaging potentially becoming a roadblock in achieving its recyclable, reusable, and compostable packaging targets for 2025. The company is now taking action to address these concerns.
Greyparrot's waste intelligence platform, which is already being trialled by Unilever, Amcor, Asahi, Nestlé, and PepsiCo, will provide Colgate-Palmolive with product-level recyclable waste data. This platform follows packaging through the waste system and records its fate, offering valuable insights into the recyclability of different materials.
The ZYA platform, designed by Greyparrot, compiles materials data, in-house labs, and artificial intelligence. It is set to streamline the market launch and scaling process for new packaging designs as global policies and consumer demands evolve. This partnership is expected to speed up material screening and boost the success rates of trials, reducing R&D time significantly.
Colgate-Palmolive will also partner with Erthos to use their AI-powered materials discovery platform for sustainability-minded packaging developments. The Erthos platform presents hundreds of industry biopolymers, additives, and naturally occurring polymers by their performance, cost, and compliance, providing Colgate-Palmolive with a wide range of sustainable materials to choose from.
Gaspard Duthilleul, COO at Greyparrot, spoke to Packaging Europe about the technology. He emphasised the importance of AI in helping consumer brands optimise their value chain and improve packaging recycling rates.
Colgate-Palmolive has already made strides in its sustainability efforts. The company claimed to have reached 89.5% by the end of 2023 towards its packaging sustainability targets. With the new partnerships, Colgate-Palmolive will have direct access to the ZYA system and is set to play an 'active role' in aligning it with its packaging roadmap. The partnership is also expected to generate real-world recycling rates for brands, further aiding in Colgate-Palmolive's sustainability journey.
