In-Cosmetics Global 2023: Bio-based and refillable solutions take center stage
31 Mar 2023 --- As the trade event In-Cosmetics Global concluded yesterday, at the show floor PackagingInsights gathered the industry intel on the trends beauty and personal care packaging providers are tapping into this year.
Notably, environmental sustainability was on the radar of all exhibitors. We saw an array of recyclable and refillable solutions designed for circularity.
“Environmental sustainability nowadays is a big issue and all our customers want solutions. That is what we are working toward with biobased material and recycled plastics,” Carlos Iturbe, sales manager at Faca Packaging tells us.
Similarly, for safety testing leader Eurofins, delivering environmentally sustainable packaging to its clients is of “utmost importance,” shares Sarah Bachir-Levy, international marketing manager for the cosmetics and personal care division.
To tackle performance, safety and regulatory issues, the company has adopted a three-step strategy to evaluate the safety of packaging coupled with testing under relevant conditions.
Faca Packaging presented its refillable jars for personal care packaging at In-Cosmetics Global 2023.
Recycled and bio-based
Faca Packaging highlighted its range of refillable jars, airless jars and bio-based jar collection for cosmetics.
“We are a packaging company from Barcelona, Spain, producing primary packaging, mainly jars. Our packaging is 100% recyclable and ecological using materials like rPET and bio-based SMMA,” says Iturbe.
The company shares that it aims to reduce the impact of oil-based plastics by employing recycled plastics, bioplastics and refillable packaging alternatives.
“I think bioplastics are a good option because it is chemically recycled and we can get a very high-quality recycling plastic which is not of petrochemical origins. The fight for the environment and the ecology has to be approached in multiple ways – by waste recycling and material innovation to protect the planet.”
Safety and sustainability
Eurofins shares that recent innovative packaging developments have predominantly revolved around different aspects of environmental sustainability, such as recyclability, biodegradability, compostability, refillability, reusability and the use of bio-sourced materials or raw materials derived from renewable resources.
Sarah Bachir-Levy at the Eurofins stand at In-Cosmetics Global 2023.
“We support clients in different stages from the beginning – from quality control and risk assessment management procedures in the design, reuse and valorization of packaging, the resin stage to the final packaging and during the product’s life cycle. It can answer the safety in the interaction of container contents and then you have all the testing parts related to the migration of some toxic substances,” says Bachir-Levy.
“We are actively contributing to international working groups like the CosPaTox consortium to gather inputs to develop [environmentally] sustainable packaging.”
Some tests performed by toxicologists, pharmacists and regulatory experts at Eurofins include climatic, UV and xenon aging, “easier to empty” check, photostability testing, detection of non-intentionally added substances and compostability testing.
“Depending on the different regions, there are different regulations for packaging. But in all the main markets we have high regulations for that. The most important is the risk assessment to ensure the client’s safety. So, you can keep in mind the critical [environmental] sustainability aspect, but do not forget the safety of the consumer,” emphasizes Bachir-Levy.
“The most important for the brand is to ensure that both sides are covered – [environmental] sustainability and safety.”
By Radhika Sikaria
