More than 120 billion units of packaging are produced globally every year by the beauty industry, according to Zero Waste Week. With consumers increasingly prioritizing sustainability with the products they purchase, the industry is taking note, with more and more companies shifting toward environmentally conscious practices.
While embracing comprehensive eco-friendly production is multifaceted, product packaging is an excellent starting point. Not only is doing so good for the planet, but sustainable product packaging is also customer-facing — meaning prospective buyers will take note.
You’ve got many options when it comes to sustainable beauty packaging solutions. Take a closer look at five materials to consider when shifting to sustainable packaging for your beauty brand.
1. Post-Consumer Packaging
Post-consumer packaging refers to reusing products that have reached the end of their lifecycle and would otherwise have ended up as waste.
Also referred to as post-consumer recycled (PCR) packaging, this packaging method involves recycling plastic, aluminum, paper, cardboard, and other used materials into new packaging.
A leader in sustainable beauty packaging through its Conscious Beauty initiative, Ulta is recognizing brands working toward more sustainable packaging. At least half of a brand’s total packaging must be made from recycled or bio-sourced plastic or be recyclable or refillable to be eligible for recognition.
Ulta’s commitment to this initiative is backed by its pledge that 50% of its packaging will meet this criterion by 2025.
The takeaway for brands? Failure to meet these specifications, either through using PCR packaging or another material, may mean missing out on key partnerships and prime brand visibility.
2. Paper Packaging
Paper is biodegradable and renewable, making it an excellent choice for sustainable packaging. Able to be customized for optimal product protection through its shelf life, paper is also popular with customers, who can repurpose it or recycle it themselves.
Remember that while paper packaging is preferable to plastic, reducing overall material use through strategies like smart design and reuse is still a priority from both an environmental and an economic perspective.
For example, when 95% of packaging is discarded after a single use, some companies are adopting programs through which packaging is returned for free, sterilized, and reused.
Additionally, advancements in other areas are positively impacting the sustainable paper packaging movement. Two noteworthy examples? The introduction of water-based inks and eco-friendly adhesives.
3. Refillable Packaging
An impressive 80% of American consumers say they’d buy products without single-use plastic packaging if that were an option. Enter refillable packaging, which mitigates the problem of throw-away “empty essentials” by creating a mechanism for their ongoing use.
From refillable compacts to lipsticks, more and more brands are getting in on this packaging trend. The best part? In many cases, once these materials are (eventually) exhausted, they can be recycled into other items.
4. Bamboo Packaging
A sustainable raw material, bamboo is often heralded as the perfect sustainable packaging material for the beauty industry.
For starters, it’s fast-growing, easy to grow, and locally sourceable. It also enriches the soil it's planted in and is biodegradable and compostable — all qualities that shine for environmental friendliness.
And then there’s the fact that it’s strong, durable, flexible, safe, hygienic, antimicrobial, and aesthetically pleasing. It can even be branded using carving, hot stamping, laser engraving, and other printing methods.
Given the many eco-friendly upsides of bamboo, it’s not surprising that companies like Zao Organic Makeup, Antonym, and Elate Cosmetics are on board with bamboo.
5. Glass Packaging
While glass is hardly a “new” material, glass packaging innovations have put it front and center in the sustainable packaging movement.
Preferred by many premium beauty brands for its security, stability, and chic look and feel (especially when combined with frosting, color painting, 3D printing, foil hot-stamping, electroplating, and other eye-catching processing methods), it also boasts low production cost thanks to its minimal use of manufacturing energy. It’s also one of the easiest materials to recycle and repurpose.
As more people return to their pre-pandemic beauty routines, they’re turning to new products—with sustainability as a top concern when making purchases. Shifting to sustainable retail packaging is an excellent strategy for attracting their business. You can read more on the ever-evolving trends of subscription boxes for 2023 in our new eBook, available for download now!
