Using Green to Generate Gold

Eco-friendly packaging continues to reach new heights in meeting the needs of certain consumers, but who they are and how they purchase may surprise you.

Written by: Nica Lewis, Mintel Beauty Innovation

Niche makeup brands are taking the lead with creative eco-friendly and refillable packaging. While sustainability may have slipped from the headlines, these brands are creating environmentally conscious packaging designs and meeting a growing consumer need. In the UK, biodegradable or easy-to-recycle beauty and personal care packaging is a motivator for 40% of adults, according to Mintel’s May 2010 UK report, Role of Packaging in Beauty. And almost one in three say they buy beauty products with refillable packaging. People who are motivated by packaging with environmental credentials tend to be more mature (aged 55+). Concern with the environment grows with age, and as the older population is forecast to enjoy the most dynamic growth to 2015, demand for recyclable, reduced and/or refillable packaging can be expected to rise.

A review of recent makeup launches shows how beauty brands are interpreting eco-friendly packaging claims and meeting consumer demand.

L’Occitane en Provence’s new makeup, fragrance, bath/body care line is based on the peony flower. The products contain peony extract from French nurseryman, Jean-Luc Riviere, whose family has been cultivating peonies in the French Drome region for 160 years.The makeup collection includes face, eye and lip color, each of which comes in a “seed packet”—echoing launches that have come with plantable packaging (Cargo, Pangea). Outer packaging is made from FSC-certified cardboard.

Also from France is the new ECOCERT-certified makeup range from Nature & Découvertes and Terre d’Oc Beauté du Monde. The Argan line features a lipstick ($13.95) in nine shades. The packaging has the Aide au Tri a L’interieur’ logo, indicating the brand encourages consumers to sort beauty products for recycling. The inside of the box also illustrates how the brand’s ECOSTICK format uses less plastic than a standard lipstick.

In the U.S., Priori’s CoffeeBerry Natureceuticals Perfecting Minerals range is housed in eco-friendly plastic containers made from 100% biodegradable material.Outer packaging features the Ingeo and Vegetal Plastics logos. The brand claims that by “using Ingeo natural plastic in 100,000 cases, it will save the equivalent of 1,500 gallons and reduce greenhouse gases equal to driving a car 30,000 miles. That’s like planting 300 new trees!” The Sun Kissed Bronzer ($45) is paraben-free and contains the brand’s signature anti-aging antioxidant CoffeeBerry extract.

French brand Couleur Caramel was created by NatureCos in 2003 to support sustainable development in natural cosmetics.The brand’s skincare and cosmetics are sold in recycled, recyclable and biodegradable packs. For their most recent collection, the brand introduced new packaging for selected fluid products. The Complexion Enhancer ($21) is a tinted moisturizer that comes in a 1.69fl. oz. metallic flexible stand-up pouch.

Japan leads the world in refillable makeup launches.One of the newest examples is from Excia AL. The brand’s Earthward collection includes a refillable quad eye shadow ($44). The case is polypropylene and the refillable cartridge is made of thermoplastic ABS. The box and the leaflet are made of recycled paper.
Danish-born NY-based makeup artist Kristin Kjaer Weis recently launched a refillable cosmetic range, co-designed with Marc Atlan.The brand shows how it is possible to combine contemporary design, luxurious materials and eco-friendly claims. The eye, lip and face products come in weighty Zamac cases in red lacquered, grain-textured boxes. Each features a pivoting lid with the embossed KW logo. The range includes three blush shades, four eyeshadows and three lip tints, all with refills.

Using Eco-Packaging to Build Loyalty

Although claiming that recyclable packaging influences which products they buy, an online discussion conducted by Toluna, for Mintel, reveals that people quite often only check packaging suitability for recycling after they have bought the product. It is most likely to have an impact on repeat purchases rather than initial purchases.In France, Garnier and Eco Emballage even developed special recycling containers for beauty products to help consumers separate glass, plastic and paper in the bathroom.Savvy beauty brands—not just niche natural, organic ones—can also capitalize on the desire for easily recyclable materials or refillable packaging.

About the Author
Nica Lewis is the head consultant for Mintel Beauty Innovation—and a member of Beauty Packaging’s Board of Advisors.