Companies are continually rolling out innovative packaging that contributes to sustainability, and the same is true in the area of health care and beauty.

In this story, we take a look at some recent examples of such innovation.

Future Pump by Aptar Beauty

Future Pump, the fully recyclable, mono-material lotion pump developed by Aptar Beauty, continued to win awards in late 2022.

In December, Future Pump won the Worldstar 2023 award in the “Packaging Materials and Components” category. The pump then went on to win the PCD Innovation Award in the “Premium Skincare Category” for Aptar Beauty’s collaboration with Dermalogica’s newest cleansing line.

The accolades follow a host of recognitions in 2022 on the heels of the launch of Dermalogica’s skincare cleansing range. These include the prestigious Formes de Luxe Award 2022 in the Dispensing category and the AmeriStar Award 2022 for Sustainable Packaging, the precursor to the WorldStar Awards.

Prior to the collaboration, the omnichannel Future pump won the E-commerce category at the 2022 Sustainability Awards and was a finalist at the Plastics Recycling Awards Europe.

The awards collectively acknowledge the sustainable and omnichannel attributes of Aptar’s Future pump. The polyethylene (PE) dispensing solution is 100% mono-material, with a fully-plastic engine, and is completely recyclable when paired with a PE or PET bottle.

Future is also e-commerce capable* and ISTA 6 compliant thanks to its incorporated locking/unlocking ring and 360-degree, free-spinning actuator, which helps minimize potential breakage in transit.

Dermalogica was the first prestige skincare brand to launch its cleansing line using Future, for its Special Cleansing Gel, UltraCalming Cleanser and Clearing Skin Wash. The innovative pump aligned with Dermalogica’s sustainability goals, while being omnichannel and on-the-go friendly.

The PE pump, combined with Dermalogica’s 50% Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) bottle, furthers the brand’s circularity contributions through the reduction of conventional resin and the elimination of metal.

Kevin Davis, Packaging Engineering Director at Dermalogica, said, “Aptar’s pump is truly a game-changer in recyclability and mono-material packaging. In addition to its sustainability features, Future’s e-commerce-friendly design is equally important to our brand since we ship high volumes via small parcel.”

Quadpack’s Regula Petit Jar

Miniature-sized products have always fascinated beauty consumers. Convenient, affordable and cute, there is often one thing missing: sustainability. International beauty manufacturer and provider Quadpack resolves this with Regula Petit Jar, a fully recyclable pack available in two practical capacities.

The thick-walled jar is made of PET, a recyclable material, and can also be offered in a recycled version. The cap is polypropylene (PP), which is also recyclable. Made in Germany, the pack is offered in two capacities — 15ml and 30ml — making it perfect for lips, eyes and other specific face areas, as well as for on-the-go usage.

A life-cycle assessment (LCA) of the product shows that Regula Petit Jar in recycled PET has a 31% reduction in carbon emissions when compared to the virgin PET version. The circularity index is 3.5 times better when opting for the PCR PET jar. According to Quadpack’s PIP (positive-impact packaging) rating, the Regula Petit Jar in PET has an Intermediate Level of Sustainability, and the recycled version has an Advanced Level of Sustainability.

Regula Petit Jar is the ideal complement for brands that already use the Regula family for their product range and want to extend their offer with travel or promotional sizes. As travel picks up to pre-pandemic levels, so does the demand for small packaging.

Shokubutsu Monogatari’s Shower Cream Refill Bags

Dow, a leading sustainable materials science company, has partnered with Lion Corporation to bring fully recyclable refill bags to Shokubutsu Monogatari’s shower cream in Thailand. A brand of Lion Corporation, Shokubutsu Monogatari is a Japanese manufacturer of hygiene products and toiletries that aims to support health and hygiene, while also protecting the environment.

Using Dow’s INNATETM TF Polyethylene Resins for Tenter Frame Biaxial Orientation (TF-BOPE), Shokubutsu Monogatari’s shower cream now comes in fully recyclable 200-ml and 500-ml refill bags that help advance the circular economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The packaging was developed with the help of Dow Thailand Group’s materials science expertise and SCG Chemicals’ distribution network.

“Providing consumers more sustainable choices can only be possible with the effort and collaboration from the entire value chain,” said Bambang Candra, Asia Pacific commercial vice president, Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics. “We are excited to collaborate with like-minded partners including Lion Corporation and SCGC, providing Dow with this opportunity to develop the easy-to-recycle refill bag for consumers in Thailand.”

“Refill bags are a popular choice in Thailand due to increasing awareness from consumers on the need to reduce plastic waste and carbon emissions. However, due to stringent technical requirements, traditional refill bags are often made of films laminated with multiple kinds of plastics — making it extremely difficult to recycle this packaging,” said Supot Katetopragran, commercial director of Dow Thailand. “Dow’s INNATE™ TF-BOPE has durable material properties, offering high toughness and excellent optics for stand-up shelf appeal and touch and feel, enabling the development of a high-performance all-polyethylene structure that can be easily recycled, along with responsible disposal and recycling infrastructure.”

The newly developed recyclable packaging is a milestone for Dow’s breakthrough INNATE™ TF-BOPE resins, enabling traditional hard-to-recycle packaging to be easily integrated into existing recycling streams. The recyclable Shokubutsu Monogatari shower cream refill bags will eventually replace the older bags and are now available for consumers across department stores and supermarkets in Thailand nationwide.

Novelis’s evercycle™ for Cosmetics with 100% Recycled Aluminum

Novelis, a leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, announced in mid-2022 the expansion of its evercycle™ portfolio to the cosmetic packaging market.

evercycle Cosmetics is certified to contain 100% recycled aluminum and can achieve customers’ anodized quality requirements. The new alloy offers packaging customers in the beauty, skincare and wellness space an infinitely recyclable solution compared to plastic alternatives.

“With increasing consumer desire for more sustainable products, Novelis is proud to offer our customers a new packaging solution that is not only made from 100% recycled aluminum but one that can also be easily recycled again,” said Jami Chime, Account Manager, Specialty Products, Novelis North America. “Given the advantages of recycling aluminum, Novelis aims to enable more sustainable solutions alongside our customers. As we take steps to decrease carbon emissions 30% by 2026 and become a carbon neutral company by 2050 or sooner, we remain committed to increasing the amount of recycled content in our products.”

Novelis developed the evercycle Cosmetics alloy with Anomatic, a world leader in anodized aluminum packaging solutions. A pioneer in metal finishing, the company first patented its anodizing technology, the Anomatic System, in 1967.

Anodizing is an electrochemical process that transforms aluminum's composition by adding a decorative and durable barrier while maintaining the inherent, sustainable benefits of the metal. It is an increasingly preferred choice for cosmetics, consumer electronics, medical device and pharmaceutical packaging.

evercycle enables Anomatic to offer the cosmetics packaging industry new options using its all-aluminum, customizable stock packaging range. Consumers can place these 100% recyclable containers into their curbside recycling bins when empty, contributing to a circular economy.

“Anomatic believes it is our corporate social responsibility to make decisions and take actions that protect and benefit our planet. We are proud of our longstanding partnership with Novelis, enabling us to develop a groundbreaking product that reduces our carbon footprint and benefits brands and consumers alike who share a passion for more sustainable solutions,” said Mark Ormiston, Vice President — Innovation, Technology & Sustainability, Anomatic.

evercycle Cosmetics is certified by SCS Global Services to contain 100% recycled aluminum. SCS Global Services is a third-party certification company providing independent verification that sustainability claims related to an organization's products and operations are honest, valid and transparent. This is the second commercially available evercycle offering by Novelis following its introduction of a 100% recycled aluminum food container alloy.

Aluminum is a sustainable alternative compared to other packaging types because it can be recycled over and over without losing any of its properties. In addition, recycling aluminum uses 95% less energy and reduces the carbon footprint by approximately 95% compared to using primary aluminum.

Novelis produces its evercycle Cosmetics alloy in: Oswego, New York; Kingston, Ontario; and Buckhannon, West Virginia.