BIC partners with Avient to make razor with recycled content

BIC, a stationary, lighter and shaver manufacturer based in Clichy, France, is partnering with Avient, a polymer material provider based in Avon Lake, Ohio. The two will produce a handle using more than 40 percent recycled content for BIC’s Soleil Click 5 women’s razor, and a consumer launch is planned for 2022.

According to a news release from BIC, the company will use Avient’s reSound R recycled-content thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). This material is formulated to achieve 62 percent recycled content.

The new handle is part of BIC’s sustainability program, introduced more than 15 years ago. The company says its approach to product design is deeply rooted in the principles of the circular economy and BIC’s philosophy of: 

• reducing the number of raw materials, including using as much recycled or alternative materials as possible;
• making more refillable products; and, 
• improving the recyclability of products and packaging.

BIC says the new Soleil Click 5 handle is the most recent example of how the company is putting sustainability into practice. By combining reSound R TPE with a transparent plastic that also uses recycled content, the BIC Soleil Click 5 handle reaches more than 40 percent recycled content in total. The shaver also is refillable. 

“The new razor handle we developed together with Avient is another exciting milestone on our sustainability journey to explore new or alternative options to transform our products, manufacturing processes and packaging,” says Thomas Brette, group insights and innovation officer at BIC. “Last year, we committed to using 50 percent of nonvirgin petroleum plastic for our products by 2030, part of our long-term commitment to reduce our environmental impact.”

BIC says Avient’s reSound R materials were recently recognized as a finalist in the Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2021, with winners announced Nov. 5.

“Collaborating with BIC on this project aligns closely with our sustainability commitments as a specialty formulator and our focus on helping customers meet their sustainability goals,” says Walter Ripple, vice president of sustainability for Avient.