cosnova implements post-consumer recycled material in packaging for its decorative cosmetics for the first time

The cosmetics company cosnova uses post-consumer recycled materials made of used packaging from plastic recycling bins to create their packaging. To this end, cosnova uses Procyclen from the environmental service provider Interseroh, a brand from the ALBA Group. Its implementation is currently limited to the caps on nail polishes and lipgloss which do not come into contact with the product’s contents. Here, 94% of the material used is recycled.

6% of the new packaging items are also made from individual additives. From spring 2021, the nail polish caps for the brand CATRICE and its essence Concealer camouflage+ matt and camouflage+ healthy glow will be on the market. This is also true for the caps on the extreme shine volume lipgloss.

In addition to protecting the environment and saving on costs, it could also be that the focus is on closed loops within Europe when implementing recycled materials. The pandemic has brought many weak points to light, for example in global production. High dependency on functioning value chains is one element that should be mentioned here. In general, a huge increase in price has been seen in raw materials and in individual components, based on deliveries that were able to be made consistently alone.

While Interseroh has carried out its own study with the Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT, Beiersdorf, Werner and Mertz cooperated with the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Technology and Packaging to draft a guideline and the first industry standard for implementing mechanically recycled post-consumer plastics taken from end consumer collection points, such as the yellow binbag used to collect plastics in Germany, for cosmetic packaging. The objective is to expand implementation of in-house recycled material. Simultaneously, the responsible parties wish to give the entire industry more direction and to expand capacity. Therefore, the study can be accessed by the public.

Overall, it is evident that many manufacturers have committed to using recycled raw materials in their product packaging and act in accordance with their own guidelines. We have already reported on how the DIY store chain toom has been using recycled plastic to make containers for paint.

The amendment to the German Circular Economy Act did not set any minimum quotas for usage of recycled materials. New financial incentives to increase use were equally thin on the ground. The provisions of the current Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009 on cosmetic products are, in principle, vague on this matter: The products must be safe. However, the regulation does not define the ways in which recycled materials may be implemented.

Increased use of recycled materials has a positive impact on the climate. The study from the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT confirms this in the investigation into recycling activity by the ALBA Group over 13 years. Greenhouse gases were halved when recycled plastics were used, compared to producing plastics from crude oil. Using the recycled plastic Procyclen cuts environmentally damaging greenhouse gases here by 54% in comparison to using new goods. “We want to contribute to reducing the creation of new plastic by implementing more recycled plastics in our product packaging,” says Axel Geiger, Executive Expert for Purchase & Packaging at cosnova. Awareness will also be raised among consumers by placing a statement to this effect on the nail polish caps.