Swiss natural and organic beauty brand Weleda has formed a small-scale internal startup to speed up product development and market testing, presenting a very new way of working, its R&D head says.
To solve the issue of plastic waste the industry talks a lot about a circular recycling economy, but a recent Greenpeace report says under present conditions, that’s not possible.
Consumers live in a multisensory world where perception and experiences are defined by the human senses, and the beauty industry must keep this front-of-mind during product design and development, says a leading experimental psychologist.
The overreliance on recycling is the chief piece of green misinformation in the beauty industry, which has to move faster towards a circular model, says the founder and CEO of Emma Lewisham.
Design to reuse should be prioritised as a sustainable beauty strategy because its overall positive impact far outweighs working with reduced or recyclable materials, according to European researchers.
Plastic is both an important packaging material and a prevalent pollutant, and The Body Shop wanted to know what cosmetic plastic Americans throw away the most.
Industry leaders Beiersdorf, Borealis, Siegwerk, and Clariant team up on a Design4Circularity initiative and create “first-of-its-kind” circular packaging concept for the cosmetics industry.
SGD Pharma, the global producer of moulded glass vials, is to expand its cosmetics offering globally with the appointment of industry leader Sheherazade Chamlou as Vice President Sales Beauty Americas.
Skin and sun care brand Everyday Humans was just added to the Target Zero Collection, aided by their plastic neutral certification. CosmeticsDesign spoke with brand founder Charlotte Chen Pienaar about being included in the retail giant's sustainable...
The beauty industry has been too focused on recycling and needs to shift focus on reuse and refill solutions, says two circular beauty brands, Bhuman and Emma Lewisham.
Most circular design projects tend to fail as companies tend to begin to implement circular elements too late and fail to keep the mainstream consumers’ basic needs and concerns in mind.
The CEO of plastic action platform RePurpose believes an “astonishing” 90% of sustainable packaging commitments will not be met by 2025 due to the lack of good recycling infrastructure.
Circular beauty start-up Innerbottle has linked-up with LG Chem and CJ Logistics to pilot a new B2C beauty platform that will allow consumers to recycle their cosmetic packaging easily and effectively.
Special Edition: CIRCULAR BEAUTY – SUPPLY CHAIN INNOVATION AND FUTURE PROMISE
Japanese personal care major Kao Corporation believes achieving a circular society will require a delicate balance of minimising beauty materials and maximising use, with thin-film packaging offering plenty of promise.
Plastic packaging is important in the beauty industry and rePurpose Global wants to create impactful accountability for plastic waste made by personal care brands.
To meet consumer demand for sustainability many brands are switching to more sustainable packaging, but Eurofins says rigorous safety testing is important before taking the leap.
Transitioning beauty business models from linear to circular will be critical in creating a sustainable future, and change requires close collaboration at every stage of the supply chain, says the president and CEO of French packaging firm Albéa Group.
UK indie brand Beauty Kitchen has secured a multi-million funding grant to upscale its circular retail model Re, aiming to save thousands of beauty bottles from landfill and break linear business models in the years ahead.
BIG BRAND TALKS – IN CONVERSATION WITH TODAY’S BEAUTY LEADERS
The future of beauty packaging will centre on blending sustainability with desirability and rely on innovative industry partnerships and advances in material science, lifecycle analysis and smart product design, says L’Oréal’s global director of sustainable...
Advanced-recycling plastic resin supplier Eastman Renew is expanding into France by 2025 with the support of five beauty companies committing to supply contracts. CosmeticsDesign spoke with to Tara Cary, segment market manager for Cosmetics and Personal...
While B corps are generally working towards improved social and environmental impacts in their industry, the newly formed B Beauty Coalition believes open collaboration could mean real progress.
Aluminum packaging is on the rise as a sustainable packaging option because it’s not just highly recyclable, but infinitely recyclable, but it’s also dentable and is implicated in environmental toxicity.
Aesthetics in beauty is hugely important and labelling is a key design component that brands must closely consider, particularly when working in the booming online space, a specialist supplier says.
Where plastics fail in biodegradability and recyclability, some companies are turning to paper packaging, which doesn’t entirely get brands out of the woods of meeting sustainability goals.
Personal care major Beiersdorf is rolling out climate-friendly valves and post-consumer recycled (PCR) aluminium cans across its core Nivea aerosol ranges, supporting a significant reduction in overall environmental footprint.
Haircare brand Herbal Essences announced they will be implementing a resin derived from an advanced-recycling technology which turns waste plastic in molecularly virgin plastic.
NFC-enabled packaging can help to minimise the environmental impact of product packaging, in addition to boosting engagement with consumers, claims a company that has recently worked with Paco Rabanne.
The cosmetic and detergent categories are innovating most intensely in bioplastic technologies worldwide, with Europe and the US leading the charge, finds a study from the European Patent Office (EPO).
French luxury fashion house Chanel has co-developed a biobased bottle cap for one of its perfume collections with Finnish startup Sulapac, made from a blend of renewable materials including wood chips.
New Zealand start-up Mushroom Material has developed a sustainable mushroom-based material as an alternative to polystyrene styrofoam and cardboard packaging and is targeting the cosmetics sector for its first products.
International beauty major Estée Lauder Companies has partnered with French moulding specialist Roctool and packaging firm Pinard Beauty Pack to develop a reduced-waste prestige skin care bottle.
UK retail giant Tesco has extended its partnership with TerraCycle spin-off Loop to roll out in-store dedicated fixtures offering a range of consumer goods in durable, waste-free packaging designed to be returned, industrially cleaned and reused.
Packaging and product designs that simplify beauty routines and reduce consumption will be key moving forward, as consumers turn to brands for help limiting impact on the planet, says WGSN.
Prestige beauty major Estée Lauder Companies has developed a reusable pump device that simultaneously cools and dispenses product and a single-use cosmetic pad with a self-heating function and preloaded formulation.
Personal care major Unilever has developed sustainable black packaging made from layered post-consumer resin materials, breathing new life into plastic previously treated as waste.
South Korean cosmetics firm Amorepacific said it intends to use the sweat-proof wearable skin measurement device it developed with MIT to produce cosmetic products according to environmental needs.
UK packaging firm Origin Group has developed a single-dose recyclable sachet that snaps open for easy, sustainable use across cosmetics, skin care and hair care – industries where sampling demands remain high.
The beauty industry needs to shun consumerism, stop confusing consumers and invest in infrastructure, packaging technology and manufacturing if it is to begin to address the enormous plastic challenge, says the CEO of the British Beauty Council.
The Body Shop has begun rolling out in-store refill services in Singapore where it believes the reuse and refill habit will become mainstream among beauty consumers.
As COVID and climate crisis-shaken consumers demand more from beauty, experts believe there remain hurdles in packaging, brand communication and supply chain logistics before industry reaches the zero-waste dream.
International beauty major L’Oréal has co-developed a plastic cosmetics bottle with French biotech specialist Carbios, made using fully recycled PET via an enzymatic recycling technology that also makes it infinitely recyclable.
A robust global recycling market is a long way off and will need favourable macro-economic changes, fast-paced industry innovation and wider engagement from all stakeholders in the supply chain, says the CEO of TerraCycle.
Several beauty and personal care majors have joined 100+ businesses in signing a statement from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation calling for recycling costs and responsibilities to be extended to industry.
Personal care major Unilever is ramping up its refill and reuse trials in UK retailers, adding a ‘return on the go’ system for convenient in-store collection and return of pre-filled stainless-steel bottles across key brands.
![Weleda has created a small internal startup to build out fresh innovations across packaging and formulation [Getty Images]](jpg/weleda-r-d-head-says-circular-green-beauty-possible-with-sustainable-definitions-and-beauty-collaboration-2.jpg)
![Shopping for any product is a multisensory experience for consumers that involves visuals, touch and smell among other things [Getty Images]](jpg/beauty-neuroscience-needs-focus-for-product-design-fragrance-use-says-professor-charles-spence-at-ifscc-2023.jpg)
![Researchers from the University of Malta used a case study of cosmetic blush compacts to compare the benefits of design to reuse versus design to recycle [Getty Images]](jpg/reusable-cosmetics-packaging-better-than-lightweight-or-recyclable-variants-finds-case-study-2.jpg)
![[Getty Images]](jpg/beiersdorf-borealis-siegwerk-and-clariant-collaborate-to-deliver-first-in-circular-cosmetics-packaging-2.jpg)
![The beauty industry has been too focused on recycling and needs to shift focus on reuse and refill solutions. [Emma Lewisham]](jpg/emma-lewisham-and-bhuman-urge-beauty-industry-needs-to-focus-on-reuse-and-refill-packaging-2.jpg)
![Expert explains why most circular design projects tend to fail. [Getty Images]](jpg/circular-design-expert-explains-why-most-eco-friendly-propositions-fail-2.jpg)
![[Getty Images]](jpg/why-90-of-sustainable-beauty-packaging-commitments-will-not-be-met-by-2026.jpg)
![A raft of industry players are joining the circular beauty movement, but how can the sector encourage consumers to adopt circularity en masse? [Getty Images]](jpg/circular-beauty-webinar-with-bhuman-emma-lewisham-repurpose-global-and-pa-consulting-2.jpg)
![Innerbottle has linked-up with LG Chem and CJ Logistics to pilot a new circular beauty platform. [Innerbottle]](jpg/innerbottle-pilots-closed-loop-beauty-e-commerce-platform-in-south-korea-2.jpg)
![Kao Corporation has already invested significantly in circular beauty packaging innovations in Japan but now wants to stretch efforts beyond its domestic market [Getty Images]](jpg/kao-corporation-circular-beauty-packaging-innovation-key-to-carbon-negative-goals-2.jpg)
![Collaboration and partnerships will be needed throughout the entire supply chain for beauty to truly transform into circular business models moving forward [Image: Albéa Group]](jpg/circular-beauty-must-be-priority-for-entire-supply-chain-says-albea-group-ceo-2.jpg)
![The Re programme offers brands reusable smart bottles and interactive return and refill stations, aiming to break linear business models and drive circularity [Image: Beauty Kitchen/Re]](jpg/beauty-kitchen-re-programme-receives-3.6m-ukri-funding-grant-to-upscale-2.jpg)
![International beauty major L'Oréal is sharply focused on developing more sustainable packaging across its portfolio, including refill-reuse designs like for its Valentino Rosso lipstick pictured [Image: L'Oréal]](jpg/l-oreal-sustainable-packaging-2030-goals-require-circular-beauty-focus-and-partnerships-says-exec-2.jpg)
![Beauty brands have a lot of untapped opportunities in prestige and stylised labelling in the booming world of e-commerce [Getty Images]](jpg/online-beauty-packaging-and-labelling-design-key-to-engagement-2.jpg)
![The eco-valves have been integrated into Nivea's EcoDeo range, with the first products hitting shelves now, and the first 100% PCR aluminium cans across Nivea Men deodorants and shaving gels have just been rolled out in Germany [Getty Images]](jpg/beiersdorf-nivea-unveils-eco-valve-and-pcr-aluminium-cans-for-climate-positive-packaging-2.jpg)
![NFC-enabled packaging can help to minimise the environmental impact of product packaging. [Paco Rabanne]](jpg/how-nfc-enabled-packaging-can-help-beauty-brands-aid-the-environment-as-well-as-drive-engagement-2.jpg)
![Several major beauty and personal care majors are particularly active in international patent filings on bioplastics innovation for cosmetics and detergents [Getty Images]](jpg/cosmetics-plastic-innovation-promising-in-bioplastics-plastic-recycling-says-european-patent-office-2.jpg)
![The lid is made of a blend of plant-based materials, including byproduct wood chippings, and maintains a luxury edge thanks to a ceramic feel [Image: Chanel/Sulapac]](jpg/chanel-rolls-out-biobased-lids-across-les-eaux-de-chanel-perfume-collection-co-developed-with-sulapac-2.jpg)
![The Estée Lauder Companies has redesigned its Clinique Clarifying Lotion 200ml bottles, manufacturing them with a smart moulding technology that enables 10-15% reduction in waste during processing [Image: The Estée Lauder Companies]](jpg/estee-lauder-to-launch-new-reduced-waste-clinique-bottles-using-moulding-tech-2.jpg)
![Tesco has now established dedicated reuse fixtures across ten UK stores offering a range of waste-free food, drink and personal care items, designed to be returned in-store [Image: Tesco]](jpg/tesco-extends-terracycle-loop-reuse-partnership-to-10-stores-across-uk-2.jpg)
![Confident and simple colours will also be a key trend as consumers look more towards inclusive designs [Getty Images]](jpg/beauty-packaging-trends-for-smarter-simpler-and-sustainable-design-says-wgsn-2.jpg)
![Estée Lauder says its two devices improve shelf-life and product efficacy - cooling and heating preloaded formulations upon application [Getty Images]](jpg/estee-lauder-companies-patents-on-cooling-and-heating-beauty-devices-2.jpg)
![Developing sustainable black packaging perceived 'acceptable' in colour for premium beauty products has not been easy but Unilever says a multilayer technique and post-consumer resins had worked well [Getty Images]](jpg/unilever-patents-circular-post-consumer-resin-beauty-packaging-2.jpg)
![Amorepacific said it intends to use the sweat-proof wearable skin measurement device to produce cosmetic products according to environmental needs. [Getty Images]](jpg/amorepacific-to-use-wearable-device-to-develop-cosmetics-for-specific-environmental-needs-2.jpg)
![The 100% recyclable SnappD sachets can be opened with one hand through a snapping action, stocking a range of liquid formulas including creams, lotions and serums [Image: Origin Group/SnappD]](jpg/recyclable-single-use-sachets-for-beauty-by-snappd-origin-group-set-to-expand-2.jpg)
![It's time the beauty industry takes responsibility and continues its push forward with packaging innovation to succeed in the wider sustainability drive [Getty Images]](jpg/beauty-industry-must-take-responsibility-for-plastic-waste-problem-says-british-beauty-council-ceo-2.jpg)
![The Body Shop has begun rolling out in-store refill services in Singapore. [The Body Shop]](jpg/the-body-shop-believes-reuse-and-refill-habit-will-definitely-become-mainstream-in-singapore-2.jpg)
![From working with more innovative, exclusive materials like wood to pushing forward with circular business models and refill stations, beauty has plenty to focus on as it drives forward the sustainability agenda [Getty Images]](jpg/sustainable-beauty-post-covid-needs-packaging-communication-and-supply-chain-focus-say-experts-2.jpg)
![The bottle is the work of several years in partnership with French biotech specialist Carbios and part of L'Oréal's wider push away from virgin plastics [Image: L'Oréal]](jpg/l-oreal-to-launch-enzymatically-recycled-and-infinitely-recyclable-biotherm-bottle-in-2025-via-carbios-partnership-2.jpg)
![Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes and reuse models will be vital if beauty, and other industries, are to improve current recycling systems and push towards a circular economy [Getty Images]](jpg/circular-beauty-needs-reuse-models-and-extended-producer-responsibility-schemes-says-terracycle-ceo-2.jpg)
![A raft of beauty, food, beverage, retail and NGO majors are calling for changes to existing recycling systems - calling for every packaging stakeholder to take on costs via Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes [Getty Images]](jpg/ellen-macarthur-foundation-extended-producer-responsibility-for-packaging-statement-signed-by-beauty-brands-2.jpg)
![Unilever will continue to upscale its 'refill on the go' trials where consumers can fill up stainless-steel bottles at refill stations but it will also trial in-aisle prefilled bottles to see if uptake is better [Image: Unilever]](jpg/unilever-expands-refill-and-reuse-trials-in-uk-in-partnership-with-beauty-kitchen-return.refill.repeat-2.jpg)
![Chinese study highlights mental health challenges in atopic dermatitis, emphasising holistic patient care. [Getty Images]](jpg/chinese-research-linking-atopic-dermatitis-to-mental-health-underscores-need-for-holistic-care-2.jpg)
