Environmentally Sound Packaging Becomes Reality

Being ecologically correct is proving to be cost effective as well.

By Janet Herlihy, Editor

Starting in Europe and working its way across to the U.S., there is renewed interest and determination to create packaging that is good for the environment as well as manufacturers and consumers.

In the U.S., The Estée Lauder Companies is a leader in finding ways to realize sustainable packaging. John DelFausse, vice president of package development for the Estée Lauder Companies, oversees package design for Aveda, Origins and Bobbi Brown, and is also charged with carrying out the entire corporation’s environmental mission. DelFausse is also a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), which now numbers 49 organizations representing companies at every stage of the supply chain. The organization is dedicated to finding ways to realize sustainable packaging.

Commitment Is Strong

DelFausse is a powerful spokesman for ELC and the SPC as well as the concept that environmentally sound packaging is not only desirable from an ecological point of view, but also makes good business sense.

“Our mission at Aveda is to care for the world we live in, from the products we make to the ways in which we give back to society,” stated DelFausse. “At Aveda, we strive to set an example for environmental leadership and responsibility, not just in the world of beauty, but around the world.

“We develop packaging with the end of its life in mind. Using materials that can be reclaimed and recycled and designing the packaging so that the component parts can be separated for recycling by the customer. We also specify materials that have a minimum impact on the environment throughout their life from raw material manufacture to disposal.

“Because we know that much of our packaging will not get recycled, we try to us as much PCR (post consumer recycled) material as possible. That way we insure that at least we have recovered those materials and given them a second life.

“Our goal in Packaging has been to find what I call ‘WIN-WIN-WIN’ solutions, which allow us to make environmental gains, while still delivering a quality product to our customer, while we maintain or reduce costs,” he explained.

Three years ago, Aveda redesigned its hair care bottles with these goals in mind. Aesthetically, the design was updated by making the bottle taller, and more slender, with an Aveda logo running around the neck of the bottle, while aligning the graphics.

Aveda also met its environmental goals by increasing the amount PCR HDPE resin from 45% to a minimum of 80%, and light weighting the bottles, and saving an additional 150 tons of virgin resin per year.

DelFausse stressed, “This was also sound business as it reduced the cost by one million dollars per year.”

Aveda has pursued similar projects with ‘WIN-WIN-WIN’ solutions, including: using paperboard stock for folding cartons at a minimum of 55% PCR and up to 100% PCR; using bottles and jars that are composed of up to 100% PCR, both in PET and HDPE; and introducing PCR into LDPE (low density polyethylene) bottles as well. The brand now uses tubes at 35% PCR, candle glass at 94% PCR and makeup components with recycled material from 25% up to 90% PCR.

For Holiday 2005, Aveda will be using a new paper wrap material that is not only 100% PCR, but is manufactured using sustainable wind energy, according to DelFausse. “We are even useing the scrap clippings from our holiday sleeves for insert cards.”

Other divisions of ELC are striving toward the same goals.

Origins has moved its lipstick case to recycled aluminum and is moving its folding cartons to 75% PCR board, which is manufactured using sustainable wind energy. For Holiday 2005, all divisions of ELC have taken on the challenge to improve the environmental impact of set up boxes.
“At Clinique and Donna Karen, they are reducing the overall sizes of their sets, saving material,” DelFausse noted, adding, “All brands are using a minimum of 85% PCR liner board in their set up boxes. Some suppliers have taken on the challenge and are providing 90% PCR liner material. All divisions are now also using chipboard carriers with a minimum of 80% PCR.

Package Suppliers Concur

Alcan Packaging Beauty is also looking forward to a time when biodegradable resins will be a practical choice for containers. Fabrice Dieudonat, technical director of the innovation center Alcan Packaging Beauty, Paris, France, explained, “Even if these materials have some limitations in terms of decoration and dimensions for beauty packaging, consumers are showing more and more interest in packages that can be recycled. Within two years, we expect suppliers that have invested in this area to have developed products that are transparent, able to be decorated and totally recyclable.

Resins from Renewable Sources

Based in Minnetonka, MN, Nature­Works LLC has already supplied itsPLA material, produced from corn starch, to be packaging for many products including disposable table ware,thermoform food service trays, water bottles, and T-shirts. There is no recycling stream yet set up, but the material is certified to be compostable in municipal composting facilities.

“To date, most of the applications have been in the food industry,” said Steve Halsey, interim communications manager for NatureWorks. The company has a full scale product operation on line in Blair, NE, and can produce 140,000 metric tons of PLA annually. The material is “currently being tested by several beauty companies,” said Halsey. It works best for rigid packaging or films such as would be used for flexible packaging. It comes out clear, which works well with food because the ‘freshness’ comes through.”

Over the past 18 months, the company has experienced rapid marketplace adoption by innovative companies, according to Halsey. Costs per pound are said to be competitive with petroleum-based polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Metabolix, Cambridge, MA, is also working on natural plastics, according to Jim Barber, company president and chief executive. “Our product is based on renewable resources—sugars and vegetable oils—and produced in a biological system that uses bacterial fermentation. The system converts the sugars into building blocks of plastic and then assembles them into the plastics, all within the biological cell,” Barber said. “We can create a broad range of products with elastic to rigid properties. At this point, we have grades developed for injection molding and thermoforming,” he noted.

For the manufacturer interested in using Metabolix’ resins, “they’re just plastic pellets to be processed,” Barber said, “except that they’re a renewable resource and are biodegradable. Buried in the soil or in water or in a waste treatment plant, Metabolix resins take about the same amount of time to breakdown as wood and degrade harmlessly.”

Metabolix is still a ways from offering its resins commercially, although it will have an operation commissioned in August to produce smaller market volumes to serve markets such as the cosmetic industry. It has recently formed an alliance with Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), one of the world’s largest processors of oilseeds, corn, and wheat, to build a facility that will be operational by late 2007 to early 2008. The plant will be able to process 50,000 tons of resins annually. “And we will be developing grades for blow molding in the future,” Barber stressed.

Initially, the Metabolix plastics will cost approximately $1.50 per pound, “but that will come down to about $1.00 per pound as volumes increase. Its cost will be in the same range as other specialty resins,” Barber said, adding,“The resins do not have clarity right now. They are opaque, but take print and pigment very well.”