SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING
SPOTLIGHT ON
TUBEX
TUBEX has developed a one-piece cosmetic applicator tube made entirely from recycled
aluminium, alleviating the need for mixed components.
Named MonoSense, the tube is ideal for applying beauty products to the eyes and lips.
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Made from 100% recycled aluminium (95% post-consumer, 5% post-industrial), MonoSense is in one piece, made from one material and with no multi-material components. The focus is on circular design and easy recyclability, while being engineered for a premium user experience.
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INFINITE LIFECYCLES
An estimated 75% of all aluminium ever produced is still in productive use today, making it an almost infinite and truly circular packaging material. It's readily recyclable in curbside recycling, durable, waterproof and rising in popularity within the beauty industry.
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Aluminium boasts excellent protection properties by offering an impermeable metal barrier to light, ultra-violet rays, water vapour, oils and fats, oxygen and micro-organisms; making it an excellent material choice for protecting cosmetics, particularly skincare, from external aggressors
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From completely recyclable beauty sampling solutions to refills housed in cans, beauty brands are developing creative ways to use this longstanding packaging material in their latest innovations.
BIO-BASED MATERIALS
Instead of polluting the earth, biocontributing packaging gives something positive back to the environment; boosting biodiversity by adding nutrients to the soil as it breaks down. Mycelium - created from mushroom roots - is a top choice due to its excellent thermal insulating and water-resistant properties. On average, mycelium-based packaging can be grown in just seven days and once discarded, it typically composts within forty-five days.
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Bio-based plastics, derived from natural resources such as upcycled food waste or wood cellulose are sustainable, compostable, and versatile enough to house a variety of product categories. Innovations within the space are constantly happening, and there are plenty of bio-based plastic alternatives on the market to date, from cellophane-mimicking wrap to solid plastic alternatives capable of holding liquids that are ideal for beauty products.
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SPOTLIGHT ON
SHELLWORKS
VIVOMER by SHELLWORKS
London-based Shellworks creates innovative packaging solutions that never become waste. Shellworks’ Vivomer is a bio-based, home compostable, plastic-like material made by microbes. But here’s the real magic: once you’re done with the packaging, you can add it to your compost. The same microbes that made Vivomer will consume and break it down, leaving nothing behind.
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In June 2025, Shellworks also launched the “world’s first” home-compostable pipette dropper. “We designed this dropper to feel as good as it looks, and to disappear responsibly when it’s no longer needed,” explains Amir Afshar, co-founder and chief product officer at Shellworks. “This represents a fundamental shift from sustainability as an add-on to sustainability as the foundation of product design.”
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www.shellworks.com​​​
LOOKING FOR SUSTAINABLE BEAUTY PACKAGING IDEAS AND INSPIRATION?
Packaging that delivers a positive environmental or social impact (for example, by reducing waste, increasing biodiversity, or supporting local economies) is critical to the health and vitality of our planet. New sustainable packaging innovations are emerging each day and we've rounded up a few of the latest inspiring sustainable packaging formats to help with your product development plans.
MONOSENSE by TUBEX
DISSOLVABLE & NAKED PACKAGING
Ideally, beauty and personal care products would be housed in packaging that leaves behind zero waste and recent innovations within the space are making this concept a reality. Bath and body care brand Plus launched a 'world first' completely dissolvable body wash sachet designed to leave behind absolutely no trace. The body wash is sachet transforms into a rich foam while the creative outer packaging completely dissolves when exposed to water and contains no micro-plastics, ensuring that there is nothing left behind.
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Another approach to zero waste packaging is creating formulations that negate the need for packaging altogether, otherwise known as 'naked' packaging. Typically associated with soap, naked formats are starting to make their way through into other areas of the personal care industry. From hair care cubes to solid skincare formulations —personal care brands are getting creative and developing new ways to create products that offer the same benefits as their traditional counterparts, minus the packaging.
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SPOTLIGHT ON
MEADOW
Swedish start-up Meadow is “making
circularity at scale a reality” for brands.
The technology company aims to set a new
standard for refillable products starting
with the beauty and personal care industry,
and it’s achieving this with aluminium cans.
Scooping up multiple awards, Meadow’s
patented packaging technology repurposes
the cans into refill cartridges, which are
then added to an easy-to-use, twist-to-open
reusable dispenser.
“Brands can license the Daisy Top™
opening system, designing a dispenser
aligned to their brand identity and using
their preferred supply chains for
manufacture,” the site says. “We’re giving
businesses and brands a simple, scalable
solution and consumers an easy and familiar
way to reduce their household waste.”
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REFILL SOLUTIONS
By implementing refill designs across the beauty and personal care industry, packaging and transport savings would account for a reduction of around 80–85% in greenhouse gas emissions. Refillable containers are becoming more popular and beauty brands are developing different strategies to engage consumers with their refill schemes.
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One of the latest refill initiatives includes selling pre-filled refillable containers that are ready to purchase straight off the shelf, while another involves packaging waterless refills in compostable materials to drastically reduce the products' weight and in turn, reduce carbon emissions during transportation. By developing refill schemes that have minimal interruption to daily routines and existing shopping habits, these brands are breaking down accessibility barriers and increasing the chances that refills will become part of everyday beauty routines.
MEADOW
TREE FREE
UPCYCLED PACKAGING
Moquin Press are the total package (literally!)
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They turn sugar production waste into paper pulp; giving a second life to materials that would otherwise be burned; and transforming them into folding cartons, otherwise known as Tree Free Upcycled Packaging.
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To complement its earth-conscious packaging, Moquin Press offers UV-cured or vegetable-based inks that trap and reduce the release of VOCs into the environment. This initiative has helped Moquin Press further its mission to help its customers reduce the environmental impact of their products and eliminate the need to grow and plant crops solely for the purpose of making paper.
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This circular production process means, that Moquin Press customers have made the following impacts on the environment this year:
- 15,400 trees are still standing
- 69,000 million BTUs of energy is saved
- 3.5 million gallons of wastewater are avoided
- 68,000 pounds of solid waste are avoided
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To find out more visit: www.moquinpress.com
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