BIC_REGISTRATION_DOCUMENT_2017

OUR ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND SOCIETAL RESPONSIBILITY Responsibility concerning our products

2.2. Responsibility concerning our products

BIC produces and markets consumer products that are lightweight, have a long performance life, and are affordable by everyone. Right from the start, BIC ® products have been designed and made with just what’s necessary in terms of raw materials, leaving out anything that is superfluous. To attain this goal, the Group has always pursued an approach that is based on innovation and emphasizes economy of materials. BIC contributes to the emergence of the circular economy by cultivating its eco-design process, initiating partnerships for the supply of secondary raw materials, and participating in the creation of a pilot recycling program for writing products. In addition, all BIC ® products are designed to meet and anticipate the expectations of all consumers in developed as well as developing countries.

2.2.1.

OUR PRODUCTS’ ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

BIC’S THREE ECO-DESIGN SOLUTIONS D

Economy of materials Integrating alternative materials Developing refillable products

Challenges ♦ To manufacture its products, BIC uses raw materials (plastics, inks, packaging and metals, etc.) and resources (water and energy), and generates waste. The challenge for BIC is to minimize its products’ primary environmental impact, namely the use of these raw materials.

Economy of materials BIC has always sought to optimize its use of raw materials as much as possible. As an expert in the processing of plastics, BIC exercises its responsibility above all by minimizing its use of these materials. In the Stationery category , the BIC® Cristal® ball pen, one of the Group’s flagship products, exemplifies this approach. Even though its design already optimized the use of materials in 1950, the BIC® Cristal® ball pen continues to benefit from ongoing research to minimize the quantity of material used: It has a minimum writing length of more than 2 km; ● It uses only 2.9 grams of material per kilometer of writing, ● compared with 6.6 grams for a competing product with comparable characteristics. In the Shavers category , BIC achieves very good performance on its markets due to its highly competitive price/quality ratio. For each product range, this price/quality ratio is made possible by the development of simple products that require an optimal quantity of materials. For example, the BIC® Simply Soleil® shaver is designed to weigh as little as possible. Although it is hollow, its handle nonetheless ensures a high level of performance, quality and comfort in shaving. In 2017, the distribution of the BIC® Simply Soleil® shaver was expanded, mostly in France, and its presence on the shelf was highly visible with the launch of BIC® Miss Soleil®, a pack of eight units for France and Poland.

BREAKDOWN OF RAW MATERIAL PURCHASES IN 2017

24% Metals

46% Plastics

24%

Packaging

6% Other

The three eco-design solutions 2.2.1.1. developed by BIC Approach and progress made in 2017 ♦ To minimize the consumption of non-renewable raw materials, BIC has developed an eco-design approach based on three points: minimizing the quantity of materials used in the manufacturing of ● each product, while ensuring long-lasting performance; using alternative materials of either vegetable or recycled origin; ● developing refillable products. ●

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BIC GROUP - 2017 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT

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