30% PCR, 70% renewable*: Henkel’s cages for toilet rim blocks produced by Greiner Packaging now even more sustainable

Greiner Packaging and Henkel are taking another step forward in sustainable packaging. Henkel’s well-known solid toilet rim blocks are hitting the shelves in Europe in even more sustainable packaging. Originally made with 10% post-consumer recycled (PCR) material, the transparent plastic cages surrounding the solid toilet rim blocks now contain 30% PCR content. The remaining 70% is ISSC PLUS mass balance certified, which means, the reflecting quantity of fossil feedstock was replaced by renewable raw materials in the previous biochemical supply chain. The result: packaging that is made of recycled and renewable materials in accordance with the mass balance approach – a milestone for the circular economy and a strong signal for sustainable packaging solutions.

Since 2021, Greiner Packaging has been using post-consumer recycled Polypropylene for the transparent cages of Henkel’s solid toilet rim blocks – recycled plastic that is recovered and reprocessed after consumer use. Initially, the recycled content was 10%, which was increased to 30% last year. But there was still untapped potential.

Together with Henkel and other partners, Greiner Packaging was able to allocate the remaining 70% of the plastic content to PP made from renewable sources via the ISCC mass balance approach. This enables the substitution of fossil raw materials with sustainable alternatives – without the need to modify existing industrial infrastructure. That’s a key advantage when it comes to efficiency and scalability. The ISCC PLUS certification ensures transparent traceability and guarantees that a defined share of the material originates from renewable sources. And the best part: the cage is, as it is made of PP, a mono-material packaging solution and enhances recyclability.

“The use of renewable raw materials in the production of plastic according to the mass balance approach is an important step to reduce the CO2 footprint of our products in the upstream value chain. Therefore, it is also a key lever for our goal to achieve net-zero by 2045,” says Marjon Stamsnijder, Corporate Vice President Sustainability Henkel Consumer Brands. 

Henkel is a major player in the global market for household cleaners, laundry, as well as  hair and body care products. With strong brands and a firm commitment to sustainability, the company pursues ambitious environmental and resource-efficiency goals. Packaging plays a key role in this strategy – and that’s where Greiner Packaging comes in. As a long-standing partner, Greiner supports Henkel in the development and production of increasingly more sustainable packaging solutions. In addition to the transparent cage of the solid toilet rim blocks, another successful example of this collaboration is the cardboard-plastic packaging for dishwashing caps with 80% r-PP content, which even received the WorldStar Award in 2021

The mass balance approach is a chain of custody method used to trace the flow of alternative feedstocks through complex value chains. During the production process, certified feedstocks are mixed with conventional materials, resulting in products that are physically indistinguishable from those made solely from conventional feedstocks. By using the mass balance system, companies can document and track the exact amount of alternative feedstocks (e.g. renewable raw materials) used, ensuring that the quantity of alternative feedstocks allocated to the product matches the quantity sourced at the start of the production. One of the major advantages of the mass balance approach is its flexibility: companies can gradually increase the share of alternative feedstocks in the production process without altering the existing infrastructure. The ISCC PLUS standard, in particular, supports the transition to a circular economy and bioeconomy. This voluntary certification standard validates the sustainability characteristics of alternative feedstocks throughout the entire supply chain, from origin to end consumer.

*Certified by the ISCC PLUS mass balance approach