In an exclusive interview with CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com, Samira Chmiti-Darnis explained that although everyone is evolving and
“People these days are looking for options that use less materials, but also eco-friendly materials,”
taking on the concept of eco-friendly packaging, it is not as evident in the personal care industry as in others.
However, she did say it is a strong trend, and one which is being approached more regularly when concerning personal care.
“At the recent PCD Congress in Paris one of the main focuses was sustainability. Consumers are becoming more concerned with eco-friendly products, and they will pay more for these,” she said.
Importance of an eco-friendly option
Chmiti-Darnis stated it is really important for packaging manufacturers to offer an eco-friendly option as it is what people are looking for.
“People these days are looking for options that use less materials, but also eco-friendly materials,” she said.
The packaging firm’s product manager mentioned that recycling does not currently play as big a part in a cosmetics consumer’s mind, as much as it would for other packaged goods, such as food.
“Compared to the food industry for example, consumers are less likely to think about recycling their cosmetic products at present, but they will be, we are striving towards that,” she said.
Chmiti-Darnis also spoke of Rexam’s new XD-11 pump, which addresses this concern because the cap can be removed and recycled, as well as highlighting brand security because the cap has been designed so as it cannot be put back on.
“The new pump offers a combination of premiumisation and eco-friendly, and these are the two big trends in fragrance packaging. The reason we created this pump is due to customer demand for a sustainable but aesthetically pleasing pump.”
Beauty industry only just waking up to sustainability
Organic Monitor president Amarjit Sahota echoed Chmiti-Darnis’ comments on sustainable packaging in the cosmetics industry in an interview with CosmeticsDesign-Europe earlier in the year.
“The most important thing for me (and Organic Monitor) is that the beauty industry is only just waking up to the importance of sustainability. There is so much more cosmetic companies can do to make the industry more sustainable,” he said.
“Sustainability is a relatively new subject area for the cosmetics industry, so it has a very long way to go.”
Sahota explained that cosmetics and personal care companies have traditionally been slow to embrace sustainable packaging, as many are preoccupied with other sustainability aspects such as ethical sourcing of raw materials, green formulations and waste and resource management.
“A contributing factor is that sustainable packaging is not easy for a company to adopt,” he said, adding that changes in packaging can affect product performance, quality and safety.