Sustainable packaging

More and more companies in this highly competitive industry are therefore wanting to get “back to nature”. In Germany alone every fifth adult bought natural body and face care products in 2015. In fact, the naturalness and sustainability of the ingredients are now must-haves in the beauty industry, and a similar trend can be observed in packaging, which needs to be as natural and resource-friendly as possible, both in production and in waste disposal. Just as there is a trend towards vegan food, cosmetics companies, too, are moving away from animal-based ingredients. Veganism has become a sales argument which is confidently communicated through a quality seal on the packaging.

With a turnover of EUR 77 billion, Europe is now the world’s biggest cosmetics market. Most exports come from France and Germany, totalling a share of around 53 per cent. The beauty industry is full of challenges, and customers have high expectations. Moreover, the production of high-quality packaging is made difficult by rises in energy and raw material prices. Sustainable packaging systems are therefore major assets – for instance, for large companies such as Gillette whose secondary packaging is based on mouldable pulp made from renewable bamboo and reed. But the green card is frequently also played by smaller brands.

Take, for instance, the French cosmetics company ZAO Make Up. The packaging of their entire product range is made from bamboo – in an elegant, contemporary design with a natural and high-quality visual effect. And of course all their products come in cotton bags for additional protection. Needless to say, great care is taken to ensure that the products, too, are made from natural ingredients. All ZAO products are refillable, so that the bamboo packaging only needs to be purchased once, and a simple refilling system is in place.

There are many good examples of sustainable packaging. Take, for instance, Carl Edelmann in Heidenheim, a packaging company that describes its approach as holistic. A few years ago Edelmann created a consistently eco-friendly packaging system for the natural cosmetics brand alverde NATURKOSMETIK by the German drugstore giant dm – an idea for which Edelmann won the German Packaging Award. The folding boxes are made 80 per cent from recycled raw materials. They are also printed with biodegradable offset inks which are free from mineral oils, come from renewable resources and are manufactured with the use of green electricity. The production process, according to Edelmann, requires 76 per cent less carbon dioxide. This is an enormous bonus for cosmetics companies, as they can reduce their emissions substantially with this packaging and meet the needs of customers with green consciences.