Sustainable Procurement News

Is it possible to unite luxury and sustainability in cosmetic packaging? With Lumson, the answer is a resounding yes! The Italian company, a leader in primary cosmetic packaging, has "revolutionized" the concept of luxury with its paper airless packaging with a pouch - XPaper, putting paper in the spotlight.
Lumson’s paper airless option is the "perfect combination of smart design, safety, and functionality with a sustainable twist." And we’ll explain why.

Greener than ever
XPaper takes sustainability to the next level. It’s consistent with the principles of the circular economy (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) because once the product inside is finished, the plastic components can be separated from the paper components, making recycling and material recovery easier.

In addition, the paper bottle is also much lighter (-50%) than an equivalent PET bottle. XPaper uses 47% less plastic and reduces CO2 emissions by 34% [1].

LanzaTech’s carbon recycling technology could see new applications in the beauty industry soon. The carbon capture and transformation company has partnered with fragrance and beauty ingredients manufacturer Givaudan to develop new generations of sustainable ingredients.

The CPG market has been growing in the last few years despite stiff competition from niche players, e-commerce occupying a larger market share, and the general shift in customer shopping behaviors.

COVID-19 has held the mirror to the vulnerabilities of our systems — from public health to global supply chains. There was an acute shortage of essentials across the globe. CPG and food and beverage (F&B) companies were struggling to move stock to places where they needed it. Even as enterprises are stabilizing themselves now, the dynamic nature of demand and the inevitable economic pressures that will follow, leave much to be desired. This is fundamentally due to the absolute lack of supply chain visibility. 

Today more than ever, enterprises need supply chains that not only recover from the present crisis but also steer stability in its aftermath. At EdgeVerve, we believe that two things define supply chain resilience: Their ability to be ‘connected and ‘cognitive.’ The TradeEdge suite of products is designed for enterprises to achieve this vision. We’ve enabled 25+ global enterprises — across CPG, apparel, beauty, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, and technology industries to begin this journey. When you’re ready, we can help you navigate your next.

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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.
Paper packaging, including cardboard, has been a part of cosmetics packaging for a long time as boxes and wrapping, but sustainability goals have been pushing companies to innovate and use paper and cardboard more prominently.

Packaging suppliers are expanded from the days of boxes to create paper tubes, bottles and other containers.

Japanese personal care conglomerate Kao Corporation has developed a new pump for its film-type packaging to replace its use of plastic pump bottles.
The Raku-raku Switch is a spout that dispenses a fixed amount of liquid contents with one push of a button.

It can be used with the company’s film-type Raku-raku Eco Pack Refill, which will reduce plastic use by approximately 50% compared with plastic bottles with a pump dispenser.

According to Kao, the Raku-raku Eco Pack Refill itself can reduce plastic use and reduce the CO2 emissions produced from manufacturing and disposal by approximately 80%.

“Development and launch of the Raku-raku Switch is one of Kao's efforts to eliminate the use of plastic bottles as part of its priority actions aimed at Innovation in Reduction, aligned with its ESG Strategy, the Kirei Lifestyle Plan,” ​said the company.

Hong Kong beauty packaging firm Meiyume has identified aluminium as a key material as it focuses its efforts on the development of recyclable packaging solutions.
The firm began working on sustainable packaging solutions 24 months ago. Since then, it has gradually increased its resources and is now focusing 90% of its innovation and incubation efforts on such projects.

“Within this strategy, one of our main pillars is focused on recyclable packaging solutions. Drawing from our knowledge and expertise of 20 years working with multi-materials, we have identified aluminium as a key material,” ​said Stephane Bulle, VP of primary packaging and innovation, Meiyume.

This month, the packaging supplier and the clean beauty retailer teamed up to make it all the easier for cosmetics, personal care, and fragrance brands to choose packaging that Credo deems sustainable.
“As a leader in the packaging industry our mission is to help our brand partners on their sustainability journey while working towards our own circular economy goals,” ​Philippe Erhart, President of Beauty and Home North America for APTAR, says in the supplier’s recent media release.

“By pre-qualifying our sustainable products, produced in North America, in alignment with Credo’s guidelines,” ​he says, “we hope to facilitate easier sourcing and provide clear guidance on our products’ environmental impacts.”

THE WHAT? Chanel has issued a €600 million sustainability-linked bond containing clauses connected to its environmental targets, according to a report published by Reuters.

THE DETAILS The move is the French fashion house’s first sally into the bond market and the 5- and 10- year deals are structured in such a way as to impose a premium on maturation should Chanel fail to meet certain climate-related goals, such as cutting emissions.

SABIC, a global leader in the chemicals industry, joined forces with The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC), a global leader in prestige beauty, global skincare brand Origins Natural Resources Inc. and beauty packaging manufacturer Albéa for the upcoming 2021 market debut of an advanced beauty tube pack for Origins. Origins will be the first prestige beauty brand to use certified circular polyolefins from SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE™ portfolio to launch a tube pack format of its global best-selling Clear Improvement™ Active Charcoal Mask.

Sustainable packaging is on track to becoming the norm in both industries, leaving the thing that sets brands apart as the way they communicate the message.

There were some positive signs of progress on climate change amid the early COVID chaos, with fashion and beauty industry leaders pledging to cut down on collections and develop a more streamlined process from production to store delivery in order to meet current demands.

Brands are clearly conscious of the impact of their products and supply chains; but what they often forget is their packaging, usually one of the most important things to get right when it comes to sustainability. Ultimately, your products are only as sustainable as your packaging.

Unilever has partnered with one of the world’s leading behavioural science institutions to research the role social media content plays in encouraging people to make sustainable choices.

Working with the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) and a group of nine influential creators from TikTok and Instagram, Dove and Hellmann’s commissioned 30 pieces of inspiring social content about sustainability. These were then tested by BIT to measure their impact on consumers.

Our study’s findings show that social media ranks as one of the most influential sources for information on sustainability, and that influencer content can make people change their behaviour for the better.

Beauty consumers worldwide are increasingly demanding more sustainable industry practices, including packaging. According to a recent ESW Global Voices survey of more than 16,000 consumers in 16 countries, sustainability is a key consideration for 87% of all consumers. That number dramatically increases to 94% for consumers who shop across international borders. The survey also found that 63% have paid more for a product that is sustainable.

Dove has launched its first refillable and reusable deodorant packaging with the aim of providing an accessible refill solution for consumers and reducing plastic waste.

According to Dove, the ‘super-durable’ stainless steel case is capable of enduring forces of nearly 900lb in weight, while the pack’s exterior incorporates 96% recycled plastic and is 100% recyclable. It is designed to be compact and is described as having a ‘sleek, minimalist aesthetic’.

Consumers are expected to buy one pack and continue to refill it until its end of life, cutting down on the disposal of single-use packaging – a practice that will otherwise result in 12 billion tonnes of plastic in landfill or the environment by 2050, the company says.

“We’re excited to make sustainable personal care products accessible with the launch of Dove Refillable Deodorant,” says Firdaous El Honsali, global vice president of Communications & Sustainability at Unilever. “Dove Refillable Deodorant is only the beginning. We are looking at every facet of our packaging and are working towards our commitment to make all plastic packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.”

THE WHAT? Shiseido has developed a new sustainability initiative, named the See, Say, Do Project. The project falls under the J-beauty giant’s Empathy CSR pillar and will boast a dedicated website that explores the concept of unconscious beauty bias (UBB).

THE DETAILS The website’s content will share the realities of UBB made apparent in the global survey while also allowing users to deepen their understanding through group discussions recognizing UBB in daily life and general discussions contemplating the care that can be taken against UBB.

THE WHY? Shiseido said its goal is to ‘build a society where all people can respect one another’s diverse values and strive to be the vibrant, beautiful individuals they should be’.

Big Plastic (and Big Oil) have a five-decade lead and massive economies of scale that will take a little longer to match in terms of costs and simplicity. But working with the right partners and openness to shaking up the status quo is paying off for brands willing to put their principles and profits on equal footing.

Beauty and personal care brands know that their customers are looking for more than just a potion for great looks, fewer wrinkles and luxurious locks — they also want to immerse themselves with brands that align with their values. Beauty products are costly items used daily, so the desire to feel good about looking good is natural.

Making cosmetic packaging with recycled plastic can avoid between 50% to 70% of CO2 emissions compared to a standard bottle. Hence, the demand for high-quality recycled plastics tends to increase as the main players in the global economy strive to reduce their environmental impact.

In order to secure their supplies recycled plastic for their packaging, L’Oréal has entered into a partnership agreement with Veolia at the global level. Veolia will thus supply the beauty giant with high-quality plastic obtained after processing waste materials derived from consumer packaging, especially plastic bottles. The waste material must be collected specifically to ensure the purity of the material and require “specific processing tools,” said Veolia in a statement.

Japanese cosmetics conglomerate Shiseido Company has announced a refill service for its flagship serum and a new planet-friendly lip palette with the launch of its new Sustainable Beauty Actions (SBAS) initiative.
The company announced the launch of the global initiative on October 27 through a virtual press conference.

As part of this initiative, the company said would implement a range of sustainability-focused activities and products to “create social value unique to the beauty industry”.​

“Social issues are becoming increasingly serious and the anxieties are further aggravated by social divisions caused by COVID-19, which has resulted in a higher awareness of sustainability among consumers,”​ said Shihori Oyama, sustainable solutions group manager, SHISEIDO.

Smaller beauty brands aiming to make a difference with sustainable packaging will encounter hurdles such as astronomical costs and a lack of reliably sustainable solutions, but two brand owners urge that overcoming the challenges are vital for the eco-movement.

Ahead of Black Friday, environmental NGO Canopy has announced that a new cohort of companies including fashion brands and retailers have joined its Pack4Good initiative, which challenges signatories to adopt more sustainable forms of packaging by 2022.

Fashion firms Stitch Fix and Redemption, as well as retailer The Very Group, are joined by cosmetics companies Lush, Beauty Kitchen and Loli, amongst others, in aligning with the initiative.

“In this turn around decade for our planet, the companies that are joining Pack4Good are demonstrating the leadership that must be taken to tackle paper packaging, and scale up low-impact alternatives,” says Canopy founder, Nicole Rycroft. “What better time to strengthen this movement than on the eve of one of the world’s busiest shopping days.”

BWX, an Australian wellness and beauty company, is looking to bolster its D2C capabilities with the THG Ingenuity partnership and expand into Europe, Asia‐Pacific and North America. Meanwhile Lulu Guinness is said to also be looking to boost its D2C activity, while drawing on THG Ingenuity’s global infrastructure and e-commerce expertise.

The launch of THG Eco comes as part of the group’s wider sustainability push and is said to reduce it’s impact on the environment. 

An Australian retailer has launched what it believes to be the nation’s first refillable beauty outlet, with the firm stating that the refillable revolution traditionally dominated by food and household supplies is set to become more common for cosmetics.