L’Occitane cuts virgin plastic with recycled polypropylene refill solution for body creams

21 Mar 2022 --- L’Occitane en Provence (L’Occitane) is unveiling a refill container for its Shea Ultra Rich Body Cream products made entirely from recycled polypropylene (rPP). VPI, a French specialist in injecting plastic parts, created the post-consumer recycled (PCR) solution for L’Occitane.

“The Shea Ultra Rich Body Cream refill enables us to substantially reduce our dependence on plastic,” comments David Bayard, L’Occitane’s packaging R&D manager. “Compared to the old product, it accounts for an annual saving of more than 40 tons. It also helps us to fulfill our ambition of using PCR plastic. VPI’s teams rose perfectly to this challenge.”

“The Shea Ultra Rich Body Cream refill enables us to substantially reduce our dependence on plastic,” comments David Bayard, L’Occitane’s packaging R&D manager. “Compared to the old product, it accounts for an annual saving of more than 40 tons. It also helps us to fulfill our ambition of using PCR plastic. VPI’s teams rose perfectly to this challenge.”

Reusable packaging is increasingly recognized as crucial to waste reduction, with wide-ranging support from NGOs, regulatory bodies and consumers. According to Innova Market Insights, the majority of global consumers (52%) believe reusable packaging is an environmentally sustainable packaging model, followed by recyclable (50%), biodegradable (31%) and compostable (24%).The design team spent time perfecting the closure’s “unsnapping” and “re-snapping” functionality.

Reduced environmental impact
The tub contains 200 ml of product and is heat-sealed after filling. At the first purchase, the tub fits in an aluminum container and then stands alone for reloading.

“We are grateful to the teams on site who think ahead about eco-design and, when it comes to developing and mass-producing products, invest so they can oversee wonderful, genuinely eco-designed projects,” says Marc Beltrami, VPI’s head of sales. “We are proud to have been able to complete such deep research on recycled materials and to have helped bring such ambitious action plans to fruition.”

L’Occitane says increasing its reusable or refillable solutions has been at the core of its strategy ever since it launched its first eco-refill in 2008. Its 100% PCR PP refill container helps preserve natural resources, supports recycling sectors and reduces environmental footprint due to the material’s inherent lightness.

The design team focused on perfecting the packaging’s grip and the closure’s “unsnapping” and “re-snapping” to deliver reliable consumer convenience.

Refill revolution
Personal care packaging is exploring avenues to greater environmental sustainability, as increasingly stringent legislation and consumer preferences support brands transitioning toward refillable, recyclable and lightweighted solutions. 

PackagingInsights recently investigated the rise of environmentally sustainable packaging models in the personal care industry with plastic packaging specialist SP Group and metal packaging leader Ball Aerosol Packaging.

Meanwhile, The Refill Coalition has brought together leading UK retailers to pioneer scalable refill solutions, including an “industry-first” bulk home delivery model. We spoke to Catherine Conway, founder and director of Unpackaged, the refill experts behind the coalition, to understand how a scalable, end-to-end solution can be achieved.

By Joshua Poole