Safely sealed

With customers demanding sustainable solutions that come to life off the shelf, packaging suppliers are challenged to be innovative every day. Design and development teams are constantly looking at ways to make magical packaging more sustainable: The latest results include an attractive advance in perfume and cosmetic packaging. 

Less plastic

The latest big idea is a seal with anti-counterfeiting measures, which brands can customise to their own products. It began with analysing packaging for perfume and cosmetics: Why are the boxes always wrapped in plastic film and shrink-wrapped? Can a sustainable alter-native be identified? Ingredients and aromas are essentially protected by the primary packaging itself,i.e., jars and bottles. Also, beautifully designed boxes have a limited experience. For example, the end customer cannot feel embossing and surfaces they might want to touch because of the packaging film.

This analysis led, logically, to another question: To find a solution, the packaging film was removed and considered what was different and which functions were lacking. The product itself is brilliantly protected by the tried-and-tested initial bottle or jar packaging. To keep the appearance and high quality intact, they are protected by a folding box, usually with a high-quality finish in-keeping with premium products.

The only requirement for further film-wrapping is to provide an effective barrier to theft of the contents or opening for use of the product in the shop, which detracts from the customer’s experience of the initial opening. A potential environmentally friendly solution needs to compare these failings and ideally create an additional use that did not previously exist.

This is where the development of the new concept has begun: what about proof of authenticity, proof of the actual originality of the product? After all, cosmetic or perfume items can be highly valuable and should also demonstrate this value. With a new developed solution, the manufacturer would also achieve anti-counterfeiting.

Adding value to brands

The output of this process is a label that not only seals the box but is permanently altered upon opening. This not only allows the customerto touch and feel the packaging without plastic getting in the way but conveys the products value. They are also able to verify that it is genuine and has not been opened or tampered with since leaving the factory. 

From the manufacturers point of view, counterfeit cosmetics can not only damage their brand but can also result in health problems for consumers. Being able to demonstrate that a product is genuine, with both visible and invisible security measures, is invaluable in such circumstances. 

Bringing a solution to life

Security labels are the ideal solution to protect a packaging from being opened by unauthorised persons. Delivered only by specialists so called tamper evident labels are very difficult to be removed from any packaging in one piece, the face material will fragment in tiny pieces. Also, to reapply the label and cover up the damage done is impossible, so it is obvious for anybody looking at the product that it has been tampered with.

With the idea in place, thoughts turned to solutions. In cooperation with a security printer in Europe, the concept and later the product range were developed.

This gave a whole range of options to the customers: Apart from a selection of colours and type of print customers can also choose from other security functions as well. In addition to visible and hidden security features, it is also possible to have features that can only be detected using tests or auxiliary means. At higher cost, security labels can support tracking of the products, prevent counterfeiting through different technologies, e.g., holographic elements, and even incorporate authentication options through QR-codes – conceivable for extremely valuable products. Each label is individually conceived and designed with the customer, creating unique solutions tailored to the product or brand.

Customers can choose from simple versions to very complex labels at different cost levels. In any case, they simplify the process: the elaborate wrapping around the packaging box is eliminated, as is the time-consuming and energy-intensive run through the shrink tunnel. The labels, after being designed and printed in close consultation with the customer, can be supplied with the ready-printed folding boxes, so that the customer receives everything from one source and has only one contact person.

More sustainability

The new labelling solution is the latest response to the demand for sustainable innovation. As customers continue to demand solutions that: 

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• are environmentally friendly
• have a positive impact on the carbon footprint along the full supply chain by reducing product and process complexity and optimising total cost of ownership
• create added value for the end customer and fit with their outlook

Along the way, you need to have the courage to break conventions and rethink established traditions. Together, it is possible for us to make the cosmetics industry and the world more sustainable.