Switching to sustainability

Packaging plays a particularly important role in the cosmetics industry: not only must it perfectly protect its perishable or delicate contents, but it is also the product’s face. Regarding cosmetic products, many customers base their purchase decision to a large extent on the packaging. Simultaneously, there is currently a lot of momentum when it comes to sustainable packaging, because the images of vast amounts of packaging waste floating in the oceans and in nature are upsetting many consumers.

Setting ecological goals

The complexity also stems from the perception of having to decide anew what sustainable means for each product and its packaging. Hence, it can be a reasonable first step to develop a sustainable packaging strategy.

This strategy provides guidance for all further considerations by defining the ecological objectives and their respective priorities. This is necessary because the following selection process will show that balancing different ecological impacts is often an issue. Ecological objectives can be, for example, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation or the cumulative raw material input. These targets must then be expressed in quantifiable indicators, e.g., that by a certain date a certain proportion of packaging will be recyclable.

It may also be advisable to define a few additional cornerstones in the form of ‘red lines’ or ‘must-haves’ that apply to all packaging, for example the use of certain materials, such as renewable or non-fossil raw materials, or the exclusion of substances such as plasticisers in PVC. A blanket exclusion of entire material groups, such as plastics in general, is usually not desirable.

8 steps to select the right packaging

With the packaging strategy at hand, the selection of more environmentally sustainable packaging can now take place. Let’s assume that a shampoo packaged in a regular plastic bottle needs to be packaged more sustainably.

First, the technical requirements that shampoo has for its packaging should be clarified once again.

Then, the compilation of possible new packaging options takes place. Packaging can be modified in six ways to make it more sustainable. They are summarised in the info box on the next page. For shampoo, nearly all the six approaches would fit, but for now let’s consider a bottle made of recycled plastics (material substitution), a stand-up pouch as refill packaging, and a solid shampoo bar packaged with a cardboard box (both re-designs).

In the third step, all information is collected to assess the packaging options. This concerns, on the one hand, information on how the (ecological) goals from the packaging strategy are met, but also to what extent a packaging leads to changes in operational processes, both in terms of suppliers and customers. The ecological impact of a packaging depends strongly on the following factors:

• Low packaging weight,
• good recyclability,
• material choice,
• high transport efficiency and
• efficient production, filling and washing processes.

Therefore, these factors should also be considered in the selection process. For a comprehensive collection of information, it may be necessary to draw on data sources external to the company or to have a life cycle assessment carried out. Based on the information gathered, it will become clear where the new shampoo packaging options perform better or worse compared to the previous packaging.

In the fourth step, it will be necessary to weight this information according to the packaging strategy. Conflicting goals may have become apparent as the information was collected: The stand-up pouch is lighter compared to the previous plastic bottle but may be not recyclable because it is made of multilayer plastic.

Based on such shortcomings identified in the fifth step, manufacturers and retailers should then proceed to find solutions, for example in cooperation with suppliers.

The scope of the ecological effect of packaging also depends heavily on its acceptance by customers, which should be considered in the sixth step: A shampoo in a recycled bottle could have a higher overall short-term effect than the shampoo bar in a carton because the customers will buy it without a second thought. Market studies can help to evaluate these effects.

The next step is to decide on one of the packaging alternatives. In our example, purely from an ecological perspective, the folding carton for the shampoo bar would come off as the most sustainable packaging.

In an additional step, it should be assessed whether the new packaging could also be adopted for similar products, such as shower gel, hand soap, conditioner, or body lotion in this case.

Not a no-brainer

However, more is needed for the successful introduction of the new, more sustainable packaging: employees in logistics and at the point of sale must be familiarised with the new packaging, the purpose of its introduction and any changes in work processes. And, of course, it is important to get the end consumers on board: Customers have multiple rules of thumb by which they decide what is considered as sustainable packaging.

For the cosmetics sector, it is particularly relevant that customers perceive single-use glass packaging to be much more environmentally friendly than it actually is. Customers therefore need to be educated with well-designed and informed communication campaigns and encouraged to buy the product with the environmentally friendly packaging. To this end, nudging strategies can be used at the point of sale – such as colour labels or prominent product displays.

Choosing sustainable packaging can be a surprisingly complex endeavour once you start. That’s why the steps presented here are primarily intended to encourage readers to consider and tackle the issue¹. Much more important than identifying the most sustainable packaging is finding and using a more sustainable packaging. 

Reference:

1. The German guide ‘Verpackungen ökologisch optimieren: Ein Leitfaden für Unternehmen’ explains them in more detail and is available for free: www.ioew.de/publikation/verpackungen_oekologisch_optimieren 

Six ways to more sustainability

1. Unpackaged: any (product) packaging is eliminated
2. Reuse: reusable packaging either with or without a return system
3. Reduced material use: product remains the same, but packaging material is reduced through more efficient material use, reduction in product or packaging volume, change in unit size
4. Substitute materials: packaging material is completely or partially replaced by another material
5. Re-design: development of a completely new packaging that no longer resembles the old one with the same or modified product
6. Services: services and information to promote sustainable use or an informed choice of packaging, as well as prevention of returns