In the beauty industry, sustainability has become a very popular topic due to growing environmental awareness, new global standards, and the compelling problems of pollution of the oceans and climate change. Companies and producers are trying to find alternative solutions to plastics and other non-ecological materials, especially in the packaging field. The goal is combining sustainability with functionality and aesthetics as well. Wood seems to be the ideal solution. Let’s take a deeper look at this topic.
What does sustainable cosmetic packaging mean?
Today, sustainability is widely regarded as a positive social behaviour. Not only are those brands with a “green DNA” looking for ecological packaging, but the largest global companies are also heading in this direction, trying to find innovative solutions for their products.
In this article, we deal with two main points:
- The characteristics of wood: why to choose it for luxury cosmetic packaging
- The importance of choosing the right supplier
According to the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), sustainable packaging:
- Is beneficial, safe, and healthy for individuals and communities throughout its life cycle
- Meets market criteria for both performance and cost
- Is sourced, manufactured, transported, and recycled using renewable energy
- Optimizes the use of renewable or recycled source materials
- Is manufactured using clean production technologies and best practices
- Is made from materials that are healthy throughout the life cycle
- Is physically designed to optimize materials and energy
- Is effectively recovered and utilized in biological and/or industrial closed-loop cycles
It is a very challenging vision to reach, and companies must make some effort to come closer to these standards. Although it’s quite impossible to achieve all the goals above in the short term, one step forward could be choosing a more suitable material for cosmetic packaging supplies, such as wood.
Before going deeper into this topic, one important point should be highlighted: sustainable doesn’t mean ugly or uncomfortable. In fact, luxury brands are also moving towards environmental-friendly choices that include reusable packaging, lightweighting, recyclable/recycled materials, and products certified by such organizations as the FSC, which ensures that products come from responsibly managed forests and provide environmental, social, and economic benefits.
Wood is very often the first choice when companies search for an alternative raw material for cosmetic packaging. Let’s see why.
The characteristics of wood: why to choose it for luxury cosmetic packaging
Packaging, especially in the luxury industry, is seen as an important part of the product, and it represents the brand’s spirit. Luxury cosmetic consumers would surely be happy to buy recyclable and biodegradable products, but they also want a glamorous design.
For a long time, cosmetics and perfumes industries have relied on the concept of conspicuous consumption, which means purchasing items just to display one’s wealth and income rather than to cover a real need. Today, things have changed, and companies are now pressured to create objects that combine sustainability and glamour (in addition to functionality).
Because of that, finding a balance between using ecological and eco-friendly materials and creating luxury and good-looking products is necessary but also a major challenge.
However, being both glamourous and “green” is possible, and wood could be the solution.
Here’s why.
It’s green
Today, consumers are more interested than ever before in environmental issues and are aware of the problems our planet faces. Sustainability is interpreted as a new form of luxury, and buyers consider coherence between content and packaging fundamental. If the content is organic and eco-friendly, the package must be too.
For this reason, companies have to strive for better environmental policies. Their reputation, in fact, also depends on the commitment they demonstrate to sustainability and ecological behaviours. The demand for alternative materials to plastics is constantly increasing, and producers and brands can’t ignore it.
Discover how to make sustainable packaging: download the free whitepaper!
According to a recent study published by the French organization Citeo, which surveyed 500 consumers in retail areas, environmental issues are becoming increasingly important when purchasing luxury goods. For one in four French consumers, in fact, sustainability is a criterion of choice, so 77% of them would avoid buying from a brand if it does not address its ecological effect. This percentage climbs to 95% for buyers under 35.
It gives an unmatched sensory experience
Wood is a live material. It changes and can produce very different sensations when touched. Some people appreciate the rough effect that makes it closer to its naturalness; others may prefer the refined effect you can obtain after processing it. The peculiarity is that you can have a natural, luxurious, and precious object at the same time.
Each piece of wood is unique, and it can be shaped and refined according to clients’ needs
Even if you have two logs of the same type of wood, they will be different. They will have different veins, knots, colours, and shapes. Moreover, they can be processed differently, with many finishes to get various effects. A great number of different types of finish can be used to transform a piece of wood. Pad printing, serigraphy, laser, digital printing, and spraying are just some of the finishes you could use, according to the desired final effect. Besides, wood can be combined with other materials - such as plastics, metals, or glass - to create a more innovative object. It is a very important component in the world of cosmetics and spirits because, for instance, a wood cap must often be put on a glass bottle.
Some types of wood are luxurious
There are hundreds of varieties of wood, and some of them are very expensive and refined. Sometimes they are even prohibited because of environmental considerations. Mahogany, teak, ebony, hickory, and cherry are some of the most precious woods currently on the market; they are highly sought after despite their high cost and low supply.
A perfume or spirit cap or component made with one of these types of wood will make the product valuable and transform it into a highly desirable object.
It is flexible and cost-effective
Time to market of wood products is faster than plastic or other materials which require moulding. When necessary—thanks to specific refinement and finishing processes —the final product can resemble plastic.
In this case, by using a cheap type of wood, you can get a plastic-like product quickly and with lower initial investment. Consumers today demand wider range of products and more choices, and producers must satisfy this request.
Another advantage of wood, especially when clients ask for complex and elaborated components, is that wood doesn’t need moulds so it can be modified, reshaped, and enhanced each time, depending on the actual demand of the market.
The importance of choosing the right supplier
To get a luxurious, functional, and glamourous product, having the right supplier is essential. The ideal partner cooperates with his clients, helping them to improve various aspects of the final product during the design phase.
Having modern and innovative machinery is the basis to guarantee precision, punctuality, customization, and a perfect result. Even the possibility of seeing a physical sample of the final product in hand in order to make the correct decision is a key factor to consider. In this way, clients can contribute to the creation of their project.
As for costs, it is important to choose a supplier that is familiar with the “just in time system”: goods are produced in small lots and only when needed in the production process or when clients request them without needing an expensive warehouse. It means that production depends exclusively on market demand. It is the main feature of a smart supply chain, where the manufacturer is able to produce half-processed pieces and then complete production depending on the market trend and consumers’ preferences. For example, in a lot of one hundred pieces:
- You make fifty cosmetic caps with smooth and shiny surfaces
- You begin to sell them, trying to understand customers’ response
- If they work, you make the remaining caps identical
- If consumers don’t buy them, you can decide to give a rough appearance to the other fifty caps and then evaluate the results
Having this possibility is very important because you can adapt production to the market, with a better chance of success.
What about sustainability? To be sure that your partner adheres to the guidelines for environmental protection and safeguards, FSC forest management certification is very important to consider, as it demonstrates that forests are managed in a way that preserves the natural ecosystem. Being able to know where materials (in this case, wood) are bought and produced and who works on them is essential.
The initial question was: “Can cosmetic packaging be sustainable, functional, and glamorous?”. The answer is surely positive: wood provides the possibility of having an object that combines these three features but only with the support of an expert manufacturer.
Minelli S.p.A. ensures perfection in the quality and design of each product created, and its specialists help customers in the best way possible, following rigorous processes and environmental sustainability.
If you have a project in mind, contact us! Our experts will be glad to evaluate your plan and help shaping your idea.
