5 Types of Sustainable Beauty Packaging
With the global drive towards more mindful living, the beauty industry has risen to the challenge and there are hundreds of businesses promoting clean, vegan, and all-natural products that are better for your skin, and better for the environment.
Though we love these amazing products, a greener beauty regime encompasses more than just what goes on your skin, but also the packaging that it comes in.
The $500 billion per year global personal care industry relies heavily on plastic packaging, and that means that 2.7 billion plastic bottles hit the landfill every year.
Sustainable packaging design isn’t usually a criterion for clean beauty or sustainable skin care products, and that means packages often come swathed in plastic.
However, there are many ethical and sustainable packaging solutions that limit our impact on the environment. Here are a few of our favorites.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a natural source that is easy to grow, biodegradable, compostable and is durable and reusable. The fastest-growing plant in the world, bamboo containers are an incredibly renewable resource. Plus, the material is extremely enduring and flexible, making it a positive solution for a wide range of packaging needs.
Recycled Plastic
PCR, being plastic products that are recycled, are able to be re-processed and reused in manufacturing. This type of recycling is able to conserve energy and lessen the need for the manufacture of new plastics.
Sugarcane
Biodegradable and compostable materials like sugarcane have shown to be a 100% renewable
Resource for the production of bottles and other packaging materials. In this process, the ethanol from sugarcane is drawn out, and have the same capabilities as traditional plastic packages. There is also a substantial environmental benefit as the production of this resource does not depend on fossil fuels.
Glass
Made from sand glass packaging is a completely natural resource and is easy to reuse, repurpose, and can be recycled over and over. Glass packaging does not leach harmful chemicals into the environment and is good for the consumer’s health. Plus, it’s beautiful to look at!
Aluminum
Aluminum can be recycled on an infinite loop. Globally, aluminum has a high overall recycling percentage globally that protects the products within from exposure to heat and light. Aluminum also can guarantee a longer shelf life and better sustainability.
What Makes Beauty Packaging Sustainable
Sustainable beauty packaging solutions gear the industry towards a smaller carbon footprint and environmental impact. It functions on the principles of recycling, refilling, and reusing, a smaller reliance on fossil fuels, and a zero-waste philosophy. Ultimately lessening the effects of plastic waste, sustainable beauty packaging is ethical and eco-responsible and should be put into practice for every clean beauty industry on the market. Beyond being reusable, recyclable, compostable, and recoverable, these solutions also look absolutely stunning.