SFDA, Cosmetics Europe Sign MOU on Regulation and Safety

SFDA, Cosmetics Europe Sign MOU on Regulation and Safety
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SFDA, Cosmetics Europe Sign MOU on Regulation and Safety

SFDA, Cosmetics Europe Sign MOU on Regulation and Safety

The Saudi Food & Drug Authority (SFDA) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the European professional association Cosmetics Europe (CE) to strengthen collaboration and communication in the field of cosmetics regulation and safety.

The MOU was signed by SFDA’s Vice President of Drug Sector, Dr. Adel Al-Har, and CE Director General John Chave.

The MOU aims at sharing common experiences and knowledge between the two parties in the field of cosmetics regulation and safety to determine a framework under which their fruitful cooperation in the regulatory aspects and safety of cosmetics is promoted, they can discuss challenges, and work to find possible solutions.

Terms of the MOU include creating cosmetics regulation in line with international best practices to overcome the challenges of the cosmetics market, promoting a harmonized regulatory vision ensuring a high level of safety for consumers, and collaborating on adverse events reporting and handling.

CE is a liaison between the regulatory companies and authorities in Europe and the official representative for cosmetics and personal-care products. Its membership includes major cosmetics and personal-care companies and manufacturers, as well as a number of subsidiary associations representing start-ups and small businesses at the national level across Europe.



Lego to Replace Oil in Its Bricks with Pricier Renewable Plastic 

A view shows the Lego logo in their headquarters in Billund, Denmark, April 25, 2024. (Reuters)
A view shows the Lego logo in their headquarters in Billund, Denmark, April 25, 2024. (Reuters)
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Lego to Replace Oil in Its Bricks with Pricier Renewable Plastic 

A view shows the Lego logo in their headquarters in Billund, Denmark, April 25, 2024. (Reuters)
A view shows the Lego logo in their headquarters in Billund, Denmark, April 25, 2024. (Reuters)

Toymaker Lego said on Wednesday it was on track to replace the fossil fuels used in making its signature bricks with more expensive renewable and recycled plastic by 2032 after signing deals with producers to secure long-term supply.

Lego, which sells billions of plastic bricks annually, has tested over 600 different materials to develop a new material that would completely replace its oil-based brick by 2030, but with limited success.

Now, Lego is aiming to gradually bring down the oil content in its bricks by paying up to 70% more for certified renewable resin, the raw plastic used to manufacture the bricks, in an attempt to encourage manufacturers to boost production.

"This means a significant increase in the cost of producing a Lego brick," CEO Niels Christiansen told Reuters.

He said the company is on track to ensure that more than half of the resin it needs in 2026 is certified according to the mass balance method, an auditable way to trace sustainable materials through the supply chain, up from 30% in the first half of 2024.

"With a family-owner committed to sustainability, it's a privilege that we can pay extra for the raw materials without having to charge customers extra," Christiansen said.

The move comes amid a surplus of cheap virgin plastic, driven by major oil companies' investments in petrochemicals. Plastics are projected to drive new oil demand in the next few decades.

Lego's suppliers are using bio-waste such as cooking oil or food industry waste fat, as well as recycled materials to replace virgin fossil fuels in plastic production.

The market for recycled or renewable plastic is still in its infancy, partly because most available feedstock is used for subsidized biodiesel, which is mixed into transportation fuels.

According to Neste, the world's largest producer of renewable feedstocks, fossil-based plastic is about half or a third of the price of sustainable options.

"We sense more activity and willingness to invest in this now than we did just a year ago," said Christiansen. He declined to say which suppliers or give details about price or volumes.

Rival toymaker Hasbro has started including plant-based or recycled materials in some toys, but without setting firm targets on plastic use. Mattel plans to use only recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastics in all products by 2030.

Around 90% of all plastic is made from virgin fossil fuels, according to lobby group PlasticsEurope.