Earlier this year, global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company surveyed consumer perceptions regarding sustainable packaging. It was determined that it was.Although respondents cite hygiene, food safety, and expiration dates as the most important attributes of product packaging when purchasing, 43% of consumers still say environmental impact weighs heavily on their purchasing decisions. Stated as very or extremely important as a packaging characteristic.”
Considering the research results published in scientific journals, this discovery is of particular importance to manufacturers and suppliers in the cosmetics and personal care products industry. polymerlast year,”In addition to the waste generated during manufacturing, there are major concerns regarding waste generated during and after the use of cosmetics, especially plastics.”
In recent research, “The consumption of plastics is increasing significantly, with an average annual growth rate of 2.5%, and in terms of volume, an annual consumption of approximately 355 million tons occurs.”
It can be reasonably assumed that the cosmetics and personal care products industry has an ethical responsibility to meet the increasing demands of consumers to reduce plastic consumption throughout the supply chain, and in particular in product packaging. To learn more about some of the most pressing challenges to improving plastic use in cosmetic and personal care product packaging, and some of the solutions currently being developed to address this issue, Cosmetics Design spoke to Pacific Packaging. We spoke to Brandon Frank, owner of Ng Components. Thank you for his insight.
In addition to running PPC, Inc., Frank hosts the Packing Brothers Podcast, which examines sustainability issues throughout the packaging supply chain, and is a member of the Credo Clean Beauty Council as a sustainable packaging expert. There is also.
Responsibility for sustainability in cosmetics/PBC product packaging
When considering who is responsible for sustainable consumption,Everyone has a role to play in reducing the negative impact of beauty packaging on the planet and its inhabitants.” Frank said. This responsibility is shared between product manufacturers who can offer more sustainable packaging options and consumers who follow through on more sustainable options and make purchases.Beauty brands, packaging suppliers, recyclers and raw material suppliers have far more influence than consumers.” said Frank.
Recycling is often touted as the ultimate solution to consumption problems, but Frank says:In 2021, U.S. households produced approximately 51 million tons of plastic waste, of which 2.4 million tons, or 5%, were recycled.,” indicates thatThe system is not damaged, but it is not functional.“Therefore, he continued.”Packaging suppliers and beauty brands should design and select packaging with the end purpose in mind and choose packaging materials and formats that are more likely to be recycled.” Improve your sustainability efforts.
For example, he explained:PET (#1) plastic bottles are significantly more recyclable than HDPE (#2) plastic bottles, even more recyclable than PP (#5) plastic bottles, and more recyclable than colored or opaque plastics. Clear plastics are more likely to be recycled.”
Cosmetics and personal beauty care manufacturers looking to become more sustainable should apply this information to their packaging design. Still, he said, many people continue to choose black plastic or, instead of PET, he chooses PP. meanwhile “Sometimes there is a good reason, but often it is due to greenwashing and ignorance”, he said, further emphasizing the responsibility of manufacturers to embrace integrity and education when working to improve the sustainability of their products.
Challenges and solutions for sustainable packaging options and practices
In addition to a lack of education on sustainability practices, challenges faced by manufacturers looking to implement more sustainable options have historically included:Supply chain issues, high minimum order quantities (MOQ), poor quality of materials or packaging” Frank said. Thankfully he continued:Most of these issues have now been resolved. ” At the moment, “The areas that need improvement going forward are process control, openness, and verification.”
She said one area for improvement in introducing more sustainable packaging practices in the beauty sector is within the packaging value chain.Where environmental, social and governance (ESG) guidelines are implemented, documentation must be provided to support all “sustainable” packaging format claims.In doing so, cosmetics and personal care products companies increase transparency and demonstrate accountability, increase consumer awareness of ingredient sourcing, and deepen understanding of sustainable packaging options.
Frank added that technological innovations will also provide manufacturers with solutions for more sustainable packaging.All participants in the packaging value chain must actively explore ways to use technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and track and trace to make greener decisions. .”
For companies in the beauty and personal care products sector, he said:How beauty brands develop incentivized blockchain and scannable technology solutions to increase recycling rates; How packaging manufacturers use AI to improve efficiency, reduce carbon footprint, and lower reject rates; How consumers can identify brands and packaging formats to more effectively prevent ocean pollution” are just a few examples of the impact technology can have in improving the sustainability of manufacturing.
Although it’s not a radical solution, he concluded: ”This technology has been and continues to be a valuable tool for reducing the environmental impact of cosmetics packaging, and early adopters are at the forefront.”
Advance
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the challenges faced by manufacturers of cosmetics and personal care products or suppliers to these industries when it comes to sustainable packaging solutions. Still, Frank concluded, there is certainly motivation to try. ”According to numerous reports” he explained.Beauty brands that incorporate sustainability into their philosophy perform better than those that don’t.”
Going forward, companies that can analyze their current business operations and sustainability practices, identify areas for improvement, innovate, and make their efforts transparent will be able to create more critical environmental initiatives that resonate with consumers. may have an impact on. By offering more sustainable packaging options, consumers can make more sustainable purchasing decisions, and we can work with manufacturers to reduce waste and improve consumption rates.
