Study finds rice husk material boosts sustainability for beauty packaging

Spanish technology company Leitat has found that incorporating oryzite in personal care packaging offers environmental benefits compared to conventional plastic containers.

Oryzite is made from rice husk, an agricultural by-product that can not be used in the food industry as it is unsuitable for human or animal consumption. It stores CO2 captured from the atmosphere by the rice plant during growth. The carbon remains stored in the material throughout its life.

Each kilogram of packaging incorporating oryzite provides a carbon credit of 1.58 kg CO2 equivalent, improving the product’s environmental footprint.

Innovating for recyclability 

Leitat’s study analyzed four different cosmetic jars with varying compositions of oryzite and polypropylene and compared them to a reference jar made from conventional plastic. 

The research used a life cycle assessment (LCA), following ISO 14040 and 14044 standards, and software to measure the environmental impact of each composition of oryzite and PP.

The LCA considered features such as materials, manufacturing processes, and end-of-life factors such as landfill, incineration, recycling, and composting. 

The assessment determined that the most environmentally favorable composition was 50% PP and 50% oryzite. For all compositions of PP and oryzite, recycling was the most beneficial end-of-life scenario. 

Bio-based beauty packaging

One composition type features 60% oryzite and 40% polyhydroxyalkanoate — a biodegradable polyester — which is composable.

The research concludes that higher amounts of oryzite in the compositions of personal care jars results in less environmental harm due to the reduced plastic content and recyclability. 

Bio-based materials are increasingly popular in personal care packaging as consumers value environmentally conscious solutions. 

Single Use Plastic Alternative Innovations recently announced a pine tree sap-based paper bottle coating to provide a waterproof lining for its hand wash range. Meanwhile, Xela Pack and Aveda released redesigned paper-based, recyclable sample sachets.