Since the spring of 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated worldwide to raise

awareness and responsibility for the environment. And while the planet, and the

living organisms that inhabit it, are being compromised by all kinds of pollution,

plastic waste has steadily emerged as a sobering global crisis. According to the

Plastic Soup Foundation, the production of plastic has increased every year by 8

percent and more of the polymeric material was produced over the last 10 years than

during the entire 20th century. In the U.S. alone, over 60 million

Cosmetic Plastic

Bottle Packaging is thrown away every day.
Since launching in 2018, Seed Phytonutrients, L’Oréal's first internally

incubated niche brand, has been a huge disrupter in the beauty space, from their

organic, locally-sourced ingredients to their recyclable, compostable, and paper-

based packaging. For the latter, the company partners with innovative recycling

company TerraCycle to ensure every portion of every bottle, including the mixed

materials pump dispenser, is able to be repurposed. Based out of Doylestown,

Pennsylvania, they collaborate with a number of the family-run businesses, such as

Barefoot Botanical, on their hair, face, and body offerings
Last year, REN Clean Skincare caused a stir with its first-ever 100 percent

recycled Plastic PET Bottles, with 20 percent of the plastic sourced

directly from the ocean. Made in collaboration with Terracycle, the two companies

will continue to challenge the industry status quo together, with REN pledging to go

"zero waste" by 2021. A key component to fulfilling this goal will be

offering six of their bestselling daily body care products in glass label-free

bottles (designed to make them easier to clean and refill), with a single-type

plastic pump for future recycling.
Chanel Inc., the maker of the world’s most famous perfume, isn’t about to

compromise on luxury to become greener.
The fashion house behind Chanel No. 5 spent two years developing a sustainable

cap for perfume bottles with Finland’s Sulapac Oy, tossing out 47 prototypes before

it was satisfied. The result: a biodegradable

Perfume Cap made of 91% plant-

based materials with a sleek black look and satiny feel.
Launched this summer, the cap will be used for all 125 milliliter (4.23 fl oz)

bottles of the Les Eaux de Chanel collection of fragrances. Chanel set criteria for

the material, including “the unique sound the bottle makes when the cap is put on,

the grip, and the depth of the satiny matte finish on the iconic double C engraving,

” according to a press release.
While an incremental step in tackling global pollution, the work’s real value

lies in demonstrating that alternatives to fossil-based plastics can be produced at

scale, Suvi Haimi, chief executive officer of Sulapac, said in an interview. Chanel

owns a minority stake in the company.
Chanel has unveiled a new biobased Aluminum Perfume Cap for all the 125 ml bottles in

its Les Eaux De Chanel collection, developed in partnership with Sulapac. Chanel

first invested in Sulapac—a startup company that makes sustainable packaging based

on a biodegradable, microplastic-free trademarked material made from FSC-certified

wood chips and natural binders—in 2018. It was Sulapac’s first investment from the

cosmetics industry. For two years, Chanel teams worked hand-in-hand with the Finnish

startup to create a cap composed of three layers, made out of 91% biobased materials

obtained from renewable resources and FSC certified wood chips (by-products of

industrial side-streams). In keeping with the rigorous standards of the House of

Chanel, every detail was carefully thought out, says the company, including the

sensory nature of the material, its resistance to fluctuations in temperature, the

unique sound the bottle makes when the Zamac Perfume Cap is put on, the grip, and the depth of

the satiny matte finish on the iconic double C engraving.
Finding ways to reduce plastic use and make packaging more recyclable and

reusable, all the while maintaining product integrity, quality and safety, is a

well-known challenge facing the packaging industry. When it comes to sectors such as

food and drink or pharmaceuticals, or elements like

Cosmetic Caps and

Closures, the challenge becomes more difficult as packaging suddenly has a far

higher burden in regards to ensuring safety. And while materials such as

polypropylene are largely recyclable, there is no guarantee that they will be used in

products that fit into larger recycling streams.
Like many other major plastics applications, plastics use in flexible packaging

has come under deep scrutiny in recent years as sustainability concerns rise and

spread globally.
Paper Packaging is often

lauded as a far more environmentally friendly alternative but how do the two

materials really compare? And what is the most sustainable solution?
Historically, papers have been used in flexible packaging for many applications,

including confectionery, pet food and dried food. By the early-2000s, however, paper

demand as a flexible packaging substrate began to decline due to competition from

down-gauging and the rise of plastic alternatives.
Comparing green credentials isn’t as straightforward as some would think,

however.
Paper is far more biodegradable than plastic and very easily recycled. But it

often ends up in landfill, where its degradation rate slows – while it takes up more

space than the same weight of plastic. Additionally, paper-based flexible packaging

is often laminated with plastic/aluminium or coated with resin, therefore becoming

non-recyclable.