BIC - 2018 Registration document

OUR ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND SOCIETAL RESPONSIBILITY

Responsibility concerning our products [NFPS]

BIC ® WRITING PRODUCTS EARN THE NF ENVIRONNEMENT ECOLABEL

For equal performance in use, the NF Environnement ecolabel granted in France by AFNOR Certification certifies products that have a reduced impact on the environment. To obtain this ecolabel, a product must comply with certain functional and ecological guidelines conceived to reduce its environmental impact throughout its life cycle. In the case of BIC ® writing products, the main criteria for receiving the ecolabel are limited quantities of raw materials or the use of recycled materials, a long performance life and the strength of the pencil leads. BIC was the first manufacturer of writing instruments to earn NF Environnement certification. Today, a full range of 19 BIC ® products has been granted this ecolabel , including historical products like the BIC ® Cristal ® and the BIC ® 4-Colors™ ballpoint pen, as well as the pens in the BIC ® Ecolutions ® line.

Integrating alternative materials Research & Development

Regarding new materials, the BIC Research and Development teams, in collaboration with the Purchasing departments, focus on two approaches: the use of existing innovative materials. An inventory of ● innovative materials available for industrial use is kept up to date. From this list, engineers select materials that correspond to industrial and economic requirements with the objective of conducting feasibility tests. In the absence of a simple, economical solution to develop a material based on biological material from plants, recycled materials are chosen; collaborative research with suppliers to identify new ● materials (e.g. plant-based or recycled, etc.), new concepts or hybrid materials. Many materials are considered and then analyzed. These have included potato starch, sugarcane, plant fibers, woodchips, etc. Once a formulation is ready, it is tested to ensure that it meets industrial specifications for quality and safety, sometimes going all the way to the final qualification stage. 133 alternative materials had been tested, including 45 recycled plastics, 38 hybrid materials and 50 materials derived from renewable resources.

133 alternative materials tested.

Integrating alternative or recycled materials into stationery products

Since 2014, BIC has been conducting a research program to maximize the use of recycled and alternative materials in BIC ®  products. To achieve this, the research teams have identified all BIC ® products whose design could be modified or adapted for production using alternative/recycled materials without sacrificing quality. The challenge is, first of all, to ensure a perennial source of such materials that meet the specifications and are available on the market, and secondly, to convert any products that lend themselves to this adaptation. Exemplifying this approach, the BIC ®  Ecolutions ® range is a complete stationery line that consists of products manufactured using recycled materials (at least 50%) in compliance with the standard ISO 14021. For example, the BIC ®  Matic Ecolutions ® mechanical pencil contains 65% recycled materials. All stationery lines now include at least one product made with alternative (e.g. recycled) materials.

THE RECYBIC PROJECT RECOGNIZED BY ADEME

The RecyBIC project was launched in 2016 at the Boulogne site (France) with the goal of increasing production capacity for pencils in the Evolution ® line using recycled materials (100+ million units). Submitted in response to an ADEME (French Environment and Energy Management Agency) call for proposals entitled ORPLAST ( Objectif Recyclage PLASTiques ), the project received a subsidy to fund the supply of recycled rather than virgin polystyrene, investment in the necessary equipment and further research.

BIC at the heart of an innovation community

respectively in the production of inks from microorganisms and in natural cellulose fibers. Since 2012, BIC Group has also been a member of Matériaux Chimie , Chimie Verte (formerly called MAUD), a competitiveness cluster based in Villeneuve-d’Ascq that backs innovative projects in materials, chemistry, green chemistry and sustainable development. The projects sponsored by the cluster concern multifunctional, eco-designed and bio-sourced materials,

Over the years, BIC has cultivated more than 100 strategic partnerships in research and development with startups, companies at the forefront of innovation, universities, research institutes and external laboratories, playing a leading role in a community with which it pursues long-term prospective and development programs. For example, BIC Group works closely with a number of French startups, like Pilibio and Inofib, specializing

high-efficiency processes and clean technologies.

76

• BIC GROUP - 2018 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT •