Circular hair care: P&G Beauty unveils refillable aluminum bottle system

29 Oct 2020 --- P&G Beauty is unveiling its first-ever reusable and refillable aluminum bottle system at scale for hair care applications. 

Its Head & Shoulders, Pantene, Herbal Essences and Aussie brands in Europe will feature the new packaging, enabling “200 million households across Europe to reduce, reuse and recycle their packaging.” 

P&G says it is set to change the way consumers buy, use and dispose of their shampoo bottles. The move is expected to help the company reach its Responsible Beauty 2030 goals, announced in June, to make 100 percent of packaging recyclable or reusable by 2030. 

“We need to start turning the tide on the plastic waste crisis and there is no time to waste when it comes to protecting our planet,” says Artur Litarowicz, senior vice president and general manager of haircare for P&G Europe.

“That is why I’m happy to announce the ‘good refill system.’ This will allow consumers to have the product they love now in a beautiful, reusable aluminum bottle and refill pouches as of 2021.”

Reducing virgin plastic
The company announced the news at a live panel of sustainability experts at the Reuters Responsible Business Summit, The Window to Act is Now: Advancing Responsible Beauty in Europe.

Click to EnlargeThe bottle system is enabling 200 million households across Europe to reduce, reuse and recycle hair care packaging.The company’s brands are launching a refill system for their shampoos, using a new reusable 100 percent aluminum bottle and recyclable refill pouch, made from 60 percent less plastic (per ml versus standard brand bottle). 

P&G Beauty is on track to reduce virgin plastic usage by 50 percent in shampoos and conditioners bottles by the end of 2021, where through collective efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle, it will result in 300 million fewer virgin plastic bottles being produced yearly.

“We have committed to enable and inspire responsible consumption through innovation on our product and packaging,” says Virginie Helias, P&G’s chief sustainability officer. 

“This new packaging innovation will contribute to making the reuse of packaging irresistible while enabling a reduction of virgin plastic as per P&G’s Ambition 2030 commitment. It’s no longer about if or what we can do, but how quickly we can do it – the window is now for embracing new sustainable lifestyles,” Helias adds.

Founder and CEO at TerraCycle, Tom Szaky, also provided his perspective on the role of brands to help turn the tide of the plastics crisis.

Szaky says he has “long been a believer that a refill behavior is a big part of the future of sustainable packaging and the innovation announced by P&G Beauty is a positive step in the right direction.”

“While there is, of course, more to be done, it’s great to see large companies such as P&G Beauty taking the issue seriously and using their scale to drive change quickly and impactfully.” 

Personal care but make it eco
The personal care industry is making moves to up its sustainability practices, especially within the packaging sector. 

This week, a collaboration between Sabic, Albéa and Estée Lauder’s Origins brand announced the debut of an “advanced beauty tube pack.” The launch takes place in 2021 and is hailed as the first tube featured in a prestige beauty brand’s range of products that use certified circular polyolefins from Sabic’s Trucircle portfolio.

Meanwhile, L’Oréal is partnering with energy giant Total and carbon recycling company LanzaTech to create cosmetics plastic packaging from captured and recycled carbon emissions, which it plans to fully commercialize by 2025.

L’Oréal brand La Roche-Posay previously achieved a global first by packaging its Anthelios sunscreen in a cardboard tube. The cardboard tube solution reduces plastic usage by a reported 45 percent.

Edited by Kristiana Lalou

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