Our Filtering Gardens

A Pioneer Eco-Responsible Approach

Opening Ceremony
on 28^th June 2007

The Alban Muller Group has long been committed to an ecological approach favouring sustainable-development. It has thus chosen a system of phytoremediation to treat wastewater on its Cosmetic Valley site, south of Paris.
In collaboration with the company Phytorestore, the Group has chosen the solution of the Jardins Filtrants^® (Filtering Gardens), a technology using plants as their main wastewater treatment agent. This innovative and sustainable solution is a world-first in cosmetics and was chosen as an alternative to common wastewater treatment.

The heart of the Group's industry - plant extraction and cosmetic manufacturing - requires an average 3,000m³ of water consumption per month. Preserving this resource is part of the Alban Muller Group's main short-term environmental objectives. It thus focuses on reducing its consumption as much as possible, avoiding wasteful use, improving its process and optimising wastewater treatment to make recycling easier.

"We are very happy to have established this new initiative", says
Alban Muller, the founder and CEO of the Group, "as it perfectly stands up to all the Group’s other actions in favour of Environment-protection, once again proving that Green chemistry is a tangible reality at the heart of the Cosmetic Valley. I am strongly convinced that it is possible, and even essential, to bring together sustainable development of Biodiversity, the cornerstone of our activity, and an entrepreneurial approach, a source of growth and values."

This landscape garden of 4,500m² will thus be built on the edge of the site, in order to filter the organic particles contained in the water as they are released from the chains of production. The terracing and layout works will be carried out between April and July and the trees will be planted between July and September. The garden is set up in the shape of a face, representing the 5 senses. The garden will also be a place of charm once it reaches maturity in a year's time.

In addition to their remarkable efficiency, Filtering Gardens are a long-term solution for the land, as they offer true landscape gardens which help keep or recreate diverse damp habitats, with a specific flora and fauna.

Thanks to this new initiative, the Alban Muller Group continues its commitment to Environment-protection in each step of the chain of production, from using biodegradable raw materials to mastering and managing waste. In 2004, the Group had already established an ISO 14001-certified System of Environmental Management on its site.