Bloomage reiterates its call to action

This article is sponsored by Bloomage.

Speaking at the 2024 Summer Davos Forum, Bloomage Chairperson and CEO Zhao Yan underscored the need for enterprises to take stronger action in protecting the environment. This is a journey that Bloomage has taken for decades. As a global leader in hyaluronic acid and many other bioactive substance innovations, Bloomage has integrated sustainable development concepts into all aspects of its production, operations and management. Confronted with intensifying climate change and extreme weather events, Bloomage is urging leaders and decision makers to continue to invest in sustainable initiatives in their businesses.

Bloomage specializes in hyaluronic acid and other bioactive substances for the cosmetic, functional foods and pharmaceutical industries. Although bioactive substances are most commonly known as additives in functional foods—foods that boost a particular bodily process—and cosmetics, they are also extensively used in pharmaceutical products. In the past three decades, bioactive substances have grown into a sprawling industry driven by the advent of new technologies and an intensifying research focus.

Sustainable development across the entire product’s life cycle

The bioactive substance industry has a relatively lower environmental impact compared to other materials industries. Under Zhao Yan’s leadership, Bloomage has established its ESG Management Center to define a clear governance structure for its ESG initiatives across the entire product life cycle, optimizing manufacturing processes and increasing resource and energy use efficiency. The company is committed to low-carbon production and responsible procurement practices. Soon after establishing the Center, Bloomage released its first Sustainability Report to showcase its concrete achievements in reducing waste, resource use, technology upgrades and other efforts.

One of Bloomage’s key production methods is its microbial fermentation technology. Rather than using animal tissues, microbial fermentation produces organic compounds, such as hyaluronic acid, using microorganisms. This process not only severs reliance on animal tissues, but it also offers greater control over quality, stability and production scalability, all the while lowering resource use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Beyond hyaluronic acid, many other Bloomage products also center around sustainable production. Bloomage’s recombinant collagen, a useful material in wound healing and skin care, is produced using yeast, which is endotoxin-free and free from viral contamination. It also avoids the pollutants, mainly acid and alkali, present in the extraction process of animal collagen.

Traditional animal collagen extraction relies on large-scale animal farming, which can be incredibly resource intensive. In contrast, Bloomage’s recombinant collagen is produced using Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) microbial strains, as well as renewable carbon and nitrogen sources, and is completely free of animal products. This method significantly reduces carbon emissions and energy consumption associated with farming. Additionally, Bloomage uses fermentation methods to replace traditional extraction techniques in the production of salidroside.

Similarly, the Bloomage Bloomsurfact Bacillus lipopeptide uses natural brown sugar from sugarcane to synthesize lipopeptide skeletons, replacing traditional surfactants made from fossil fuels and plants. This process enhances fermentation yield while avoiding organic solvents and leaving no toxic residues. Finally, it’s highly biodegradable and reduces the use of petroleum and plant-based resources.

Optimizing resource and energy use

Due to its production technologies, Bloomage’s impact on the environment is relatively low compared to other manufacturing industries, such as chemical production. Still, Bloomage continues to embed sustainable concepts across its entire supply chain and full product life cycle. It has installed rooftop photovoltaic and biogas power generation equipment to collectively generate approximately 3.52 million kilowatt-hours of power in 2023, reducing GHG emissions by 2,008 tons of equivalent carbon dioxide. At the same time, the Jinan factory sourced a total of 38,283 gigajoules of external biomass heating in 2023, reducing its reliance on natural gas boilers and cutting approximately 5,000 tons of CO₂ equivalent GHG emissions.

Promoting sustainable manufacturing

Bloomage is taking concrete steps to improve the eco-friendliness of its production sites. Currently, the company’s Jinan, Dongying and Tianjin-based production facilities in China have received the ISO14001 Environmental Management Systems certification.

Bloomage continues to optimize, streamline and automate production to lower environmental impact. The company’s Jinan site alone has achieved 97 percent indirect cooling water circulation and 95 percent industrial water recycling. Additionally, the Jinan site has been certified for the ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems Standard. It has also developed a plan for the collection and treatment of exhaust gases from the alcohol storage tanks. Upon the project’s completion, it will further reduce the unorganized emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), specifically ethanol. When the products are ready to leave the manufacturing sites, Bloomage heavily employs reusable transfer tanks in product transportation to reduce the use of polyethylene plastic bags.

Using eco-friendly materials

Bloomage is actively exploring the procurement of environmentally friendly materials such as biodegradable or recyclable plastics as alternatives to traditional plastic packaging. It has invested in researching sugar cane-based plastic in packaging materials, which can reduce around three tons of carbon dioxide emissions per ton compared to petroleum-based plastics. Over 95 percent of Bloomage’s purchased functional skincare product external packaging materials have Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. Additionally, Bloomage reuses waste plastic, discarded outer packaging and other materials generated during the production process to minimize waste. Between 2020 and 2023, Bloomage recycled 13.62 tons of packaging materials.

Recycling and repurposing can also cross industries. For example, Bloomage has repurposed the perlite generated from production into building materials by supplying it to cement plants.

Investing in people

Success begins with people, and Bloomage is committed to building a diverse, inclusive and equitable workforce. Of the company’s 4,655 employees, 49.65 percent are female, and the ratio is 50 percent in Bloomage’s leadership team. Their ideas and creativity have shaped Bloomage’s success today.

At a global level, Bloomage has joined the Global Signatory Corporation of the United Nations’ “Women’s Empowerment Principles” under UN Women in 2024. The company also offers sustainability-focused training programs to instill its concepts into employees and partners.

Achievements

To date, Bloomage has conducted GHG inventories for all its factories in China based on the ISO 14064 standard for two consecutive years and has tracked the product carbon footprint for its main product, hyaluronic acid. Furthermore, it has completed carbon auditing conducted by third-party agencies, and it has participated in CDP ratings and EcoVadis surveys to reiterate its commitment to environmental stewardship. In August, Bloomage achieved its highest EcoVadis rating to date, earning the Bronze Medal and scoring 80 in the environmental protection category.

These are just a few snippets of the types of initiatives Bloomage is exploring. Their benefits, both to society and the growth of the company, will far outweigh the initial investments in the long run.