Eastman and Kolmar Advance Sustainable Innovation with MOU

Specialty materials company Eastman has inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kolmar Korea, a global cosmetics original development manufacturing leader, to advance biodegradable and high-performing personal care solutions that can help customers meet sustainability goals.

With over a century of expertise in cellulose esters technology, Eastman’s latest cellulose ester innovation is readily biodegradable according to OECD 301B guidelines, meeting EU biodegradation regulations (EU2023/2055) for synthetic polymer microparticles.

The collaboration will focus on expanding access to Eastman’s Esmeri technology, which includes Esmeri CC1N10, an advanced cellulose ester micro powder for color cosmetics.

“Esmeri is a key solution to challenges that brands face today in meeting regulatory requirements and rising consumer demands for innovative products that continue to deliver exceptional performance,” said Travis Smith, executive vice president at Eastman. “Kolmar’s end-to-end manufacturing capabilities and global reach will be integral in scaling access to Esmeri and other personal care innovations.”

The collaboration with Kolmar also spans Eastman personal care’s broad portfolio of ingredients that serve applications across cosmetics and fragrance and skin, sun and hair care, designed to boost product performance and meet evolving consumer and regulatory expectations.

Kolmar’s focus on sustainable manufacturing and expertise in human-centered user experiences and real-world problem-solving makes Kolmar an ideal partner to help scale Eastman’s applications across the beauty and personal care markets.

“Through our products and brands, we continue to offer differentiated beauty solutions that integrate cutting-edge technology with sustainable practices, which is what makes Esmeri a great fit for our portfolio,” said Han Sang-keun, vice president and chief technology officer, Kolmar Holdings. “We are excited to collaborate with Eastman to combine their unique technology with our global consumer insights and deep expertise in K-beauty to accelerate sustainable growth for both companies.”