Case Studies Demonstrate How We Put Insight Into Action

When P&G set a sustainability goal of reducing the use of fossil-sourced plastics and incorporating more recycled content into packages, we knew enabling effective recycling of polypropylene (PP) would be an important step toward achieving this goal. That’s because polypropylene is one of the most commonly used plastic materials, and it has been challenging to recycle and reuse. Why? Ridding PP of its original color and smell isn’t easy and there is limited interest to reuse material for new items if it looks or smells of its past life.

Enter P&G’s proprietary Circular Polymer Purification Process: Verso Vita™. This process was developed by a team of P&G scientists and engineers who wanted to get more recycled PP back into P&G products. This process purifies used polypropylene plastic all the way down to the molecular level, leaving only purified recycled polypropylene resin behind. This material is very close to virgin-like aesthetic quality and can be pelletized for use in making new items. Additionally, it uses significantly less energy versus making new polypropylene. Many of our top product packages are made with recycled content and are working to increase their use of recycled content to meet our goal of having packaging that is 100% recyclable or reusable by 2030 while reducing the need for new fossil based resins.

By sharing the Verso Vita™ Polymer Purification Solutions with producers who are focused scaling this process to recycle more materials, like PureCycle Technologies, we’re helping to provide important alternatives for handling plastic waste by driving the industry toward circular solutions.

The cells in our body are always sending us messages, but putting meaning behind those messages can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. That’s why P&G R&D experts are leveraging the field of multi-omics, a novel big-picture approach that layers genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic (among other “omics”) data to identify solutions that consider the entire biological system.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with this biological data enables researchers to predict which molecular pathways are associated with common concerns in the mouth, skin, and hair.
In a recent study published by the American Society of Microbiology, our BioScience experts and partners at the Single-Cell Center used multi-omics methodology to discover that our mouth microbiomes may reveal signs of gum infections before we even experience symptoms. Knowing how the microbes in our mouth change over time can help us identify better ways to spot and treat elusive and early symptoms, ultimately helping improve consumers’ health and well-being.

The more we know about the germs and bacteria that exist in the world around us, the better we can innovate to solve the share of problems that plague humans worldwide. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, we quickly realized the need to deliver longer-lasting protection from germs and viruses with 24-hour surface antibacterial protection.

Combining knowledge across scientific disciplines, our experts worked to combine the Microban 24 antibacterial technology with a proprietary polymer that keeps the active ingredient on the applied surface. In the same way a time-release medication releases its dose a little at a time, Microban 24 releases a small amount of its active ingredient to provide 24-hour protection from germs and viruses—including those that cause the flu and COVID-19.

This is where artificial intelligence (AI)-activated insights reveal potentially hidden answers in product-usage patterns by letting the data speak for itself. For example, when people are asked how long they spend brushing their teeth, most say: “two minutes.” However, after analyzing in-use data from study participants, we know that the average person brushes for only 47 seconds. Knowing this helps us develop better products for dental health because we’re able to fine-tune formulations and products to provide maximum benefits based on the most common use.

Dental biofilm, more commonly known as plaque, is a layer of bacteria that live and grow in the mouth. When not addressed, dental biofilm buildup can lead to oral health issues such as gingivitis, which has been associated with a variety of systemic health conditions.

Sometimes, big-picture thinking requires subatomic vision. In these cases, our analytical and measurement experts are using advanced technology such as scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) to gather insights. SEM technology helps us create detailed maps of subatomic environments, making the invisible visible. By focusing a beam of electrons over a sample surface, we observe how the electrons react to collect information about shape and composition.

Today, P&G R&D experts are digging deeper, looking at the ways biofilm bacteria communicate with other fellow microorganisms and pathogens throughout the body, and what bodily responses could be triggered by the invisible communication. SEM technology enables us to better understand how these microorganisms interact with each other, which helps us develop solutions that prevent the accumulation of potentially harmful bacteria in the first place.

The question is: How do we actually quantify an improvement in quality of life? After all, the term itself is subjective, and subjective data is difficult to measure in terms of analytics.

Have you ever tried separating the items in your recycling bin and thought, “I wonder if this is actually recyclable?” Believe it or not, high-tech sorting machines struggle with material identification, too, and many cameras and processors are only capable of recognizing a few basic properties.

P&G, along with more than 160 other global companies, have teamed up for an initiative called Holy Grail, which aims to upgrade product packaging and scale automated detection and intelligent sorting at recycling facilities.

Developed and validated in partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the Holy Grail technology utilizes a hidden code in recyclable materials. Product packaging is manufactured with a “digital watermark,” essentially a subtle pattern in the package graphics or surface. Think of it as an invisible tattoo for your shampoo bottle—except this tattoo can communicate with the recycling facility sorting machines about its material and how it should be recycled.

The technology can also be read by barcode scanners and smartphones (similar to a QR code) to reveal even more information, in practice turning the tagged item into an Internet-of-Things object with a bigger story to tell. The codes can provide a wide range of product attributes such as manufacturer, stock-keeping unit (SKU), types of plastic used, composition for multilayer objects, food vs nonfood usage, and more. The number of available codes is virtually unlimited, and each one will help P&G’s mission to advance the circular economy and reduce the amount of waste that goes into incinerators or landfills each year.

Learn more about Holy Grail 2.0 here.

In a sea of skincare ingredients, retinol has proven itself as a tried-and-true leader. We have decades of clinical data on its effectiveness as an anti-aging ingredient—but sometimes those results can come at the price of temporary skin irritation. P&G R&D is searching for the next generation of ingredients that provide superior efficacy without the typical side effects.

In a recently published study in Experimental Dermatology, P&G R&D scientists explored how 3 different topical vitamin A derivatives affect the skin and function over time: the ever-popular retinol, lesser-known but well-established retinyl palmitate, and the relatively new retinyl propionate. Using technology like mass spectrometry, an analytical technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio of ions, our scientists are determining the amount of bioactivity that occurs in the skin.

Study results suggest that the new kid on the block, retinyl propionate, has a promising ability to better penetrate the skin than traditional retinol and retinyl palmitate, while also causing less irritation. Additionally, the study found that a little retinyl propionate goes a long way, potentially paving the way to more economical anti-aging skincare products. While more research still needs to be done to fully understand why retinyl propionate outperforms, P&G experts are continuing to follow the science to shape the skincare of tomorrow.

In today’s world, we need to reflect innovations that represent the world as it truly is. Consumers span multiple geographies, cultures, ages, and expectations. Their wants and needs span an equally large range.

More than that, solutions themselves require a diversity of thoughts and approaches. To truly capture and understand where the future is headed, we need to harness the thinking of people who represent the broad spectrum of humanity itself.

Across P&G’s 13 global research and innovation centers, you’ll find more than 7000 experts with science or engineering backgrounds. Among those, there are more than 1000 with PhDs, and even more hold both master’s and bachelor’s degrees. Here, a collective of some of the planet’s sharpest minds come together in inter-disciplinary connectivity. Our experts’ fields of study span nearly 40 disciplines, from social and computational research to toxicology to artificial intelligence and beyond, all in the name of our shared quest to positively impact the lives of people across the globe.

At P&G, we prioritize the diversity of our scientists, researchers, and supporting staff as much as the diversity of the science itself. Fifty-four percent of our global R&D experts are women, and 27% of our scientists are members of the Black, Asian American, and Latino communities. We know that achieving constructive disruption requires employing a variety of people with a diversity of lived experiences, perceptions, and backgrounds. In fact, at least 37 languages are spoken across our team, but every P&G expert also speaks the same language: consumer. (Diversity data reported for US employees only due to privacy laws)

Many of our consumer products rely on scent, as we know that it helps drive a delightful experience. Our R&D experts needed to combine their insights about consumer behavior with the science of olfactory biology to ensure our scents deliver true “wow” from the first moment of truth when consumers pick up or open the package. But the scent experience can’t stop there, because consumers also rely on scent cues during and after product use. Our researchers had to understand how we biologically experience scent at every point of consumer interaction and use that understanding to inform design that delights.

Our experts in Human-Centered Innovation leveraged the latest scientific insights from olfactory biology and knowledge of human habits to better understand the role of scent in product experience. Blending those insights with our expertise in fragrance development, we identified the need for scents to vary over time to deliver the greatest delight factor. You may be familiar with the term “nose-blind,” explained in more depth for our Febreze brand of air fresheners to better understand this phenomenon of olfactory science and natural human sensory experience. Science shows that our olfactory senses become familiar with the scents that surround us. To optimize how scent is experienced, we designed intermittent and/or varying scent notes for our products to be released during use. By being human-centered, we leveraged the best of science to create the best human experience.

Many children suffer from incontinence (or bedwetting) at night, which can bring physical and emotional stress on a child and their loved ones. It’s hard on kids, who feel embarrassed when they have nighttime accidents; and it’s hard on parents, who want to help their kids feel better and get sleep themselves. Sleepovers turn into nightmares, and it became clear that existing products on the market were not hitting the mark and truly meeting everyone’s needs. So, we got to work.

We knew that designing a superior product would require a deep understanding of the life challenges of these consumers, including both children and their parents. After speaking with and, importantly, listening to both groups, we began to learn more about the stressors of bedwetting, and how those translated into priority product features. For example, we learned that children care about the sound the underwear makes when wearing pajamas or the ability of the underwear to capture odor, especially when an accident occurs overnight.

Armed with these insights, we prepared for product design. Leveraging our experience in high-absorbency baby and feminine hygiene products, we designed Ninjamas, the first nighttime bedwetting solution with OdorMask and QuietCloth technology, enabling a comfortable, discreet, and fun experience for children.

Through ongoing products research and quality listening with families and consumers, P&G researchers developed an innovative, thoughtful solution that will change bedtime–and mornings–for the better.