Personal care packaging: Refill takes center stage as environmental demands intensify

09 Mar 2022 --- 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. 

We investigate the rise of environmentally sustainable packaging models in the personal care industry with plastic packaging specialist SP Group (SPG) and metal packaging leader Ball Aerosol Packaging.

“The European Commission’s new directive has strongly influenced the market,” Manuela Arjona Rambla, marketing technician at SPG, tells PackagingInsights. “Now, the most in-demand products are those which can fit with the main objective: all packaging must be recyclable by 2030.”

“With climate change a central issue in the packaging environmental sustainability debate today, we see a growing focus on weight reduction to reduce carbon footprint,” adds Jason Galley, senior director for innovation for sustainability and business development at Ball Aerosol Packaging.

“We see a growing expectation from consumers worldwide for more environmentally sustainable packaging options, and this includes a demand for refillable packaging,” he says.Ball’s Infinity aluminum bottles can be refilled again and again.

Refill revolution gains ground
Arjona Rambla agrees that one of the most interesting trends in personal care packaging is the rise of refill models, driven by consumer demand for more environmentally responsible purchasing decisions.

Unilever is currently trialing a “return on-the-go” refillable packaging system with UK Asda supermarkets and Co-op convenience stores. The FMCG giant is offering personal care brands Simple, Radox and Alberto Balsam refills in stainless steel bottles, monitoring consumer response to the model and evaluating its scalability potential. The Body Shop is also focusing on refillable packaging models.

“Retailers in the UK are looking for truly circular packaging solutions, and they are also increasingly trialing refill systems. Ball’s Infinity aluminum bottles are a perfect example of packaging made to be refilled again and again with shampoo, hand soap, bubble bath and many more personal care products,” notes Galley.

“The bottles are strong yet light, convenient, shatterproof, and have the added benefit of being infinitely recyclable.”

However, Arjona Rambla argues that flexible packaging applied to refill products boasts a smaller carbon footprint than rigid packaging. “Flexible packaging also keeps the products in optimal condition, with a good impact on shelves and an ergonomic design for comfortable use.”

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%).SPG’s PE ECO is designed for solutions not requiring a high barrier.

Leading UK retailers have formed the Refill Coalition to co-design an innovative refill solution. If successful, the solution could play a key role in reducing what Greenpeace estimates as 56.5 billion units of single-use plastic packaging sold annually in the UK.

Recyclability focus remains key
Even within refillable packaging models, recyclability remains critical for eventual end-of-life disposal. SPG’s R&D Department has been working on recyclability as a long-term focus. It says its PE ECO and PE HB ECO pouches are recyclable and developed to meet the guidelines set out by the European Commission to increase the recyclability of packaging. PE HB ECO can replace non-recyclable structures.

The PE HB ECO has a high barrier enabling it to preserve any kind of product, while the PE ECO is designed for solutions not requiring a high barrier.

“The true challenge is to change consumers’ behavior to be more environmentally sustainable. One solution in the personal care market is doypack bag solutions, which can stand up by themselves. We can also add personalization to the bag, like a handle or cap, so they are easier to use,” explains Arjona Rambla.

“However, it is important to highlight the importance of using environmentally sustainable inks for the packaging. Nowadays, the offset system offers this kind of ink without any solvent, so the packaging can be truly 100% environmentally sustainable. That’s why we keep working on the offset system and improving it.”Unilever is trialing a “return on-the-go” system with stainless steel bottles.

Meanwhile, Galley says that recycling is crucial to achieving a low-carbon and circular economy, in addition to weight reduction.

“Aluminum is a highly interesting material in this [circular economy] context because it is infinitely recyclable, without losing any of its quality. At Ball, we are working to increase collection and recycling rates by partnering with brand owners, industry associations, MRFs and re-melters globally to educate consumers.”

“As recycling rates go up, the availability of recycled aluminum will increase. Today Ball can incorporate 50% recycled content in its aluminum aerosol cans on a global scale.”As shaped cans lose popularity, advanced printing becomes more important.

Weight reduction propels advanced printing
Ball is also pursuing weight reduction in its aerosol containers to reduce carbon impact. With aluminum packaging, it is possible to leverage high-strength alloys to reduce weight and preserve critical material properties like pressure resistance and strength.

“At Ball, we use our ReAl alloy to reduce the weight of aerosol cans by up to 30% compared to a standard can,” explains Galley. “As a result, shaped cans (which tend to be heavier than standard cans) are currently less popular, and brands rely increasingly on decoration rather than shape to achieve stand-out on the shelf.”

“Therefore, advanced printing techniques are becoming ever more important. For example, Ball’s proprietary Eyeris high-definition printing technique creates highly detailed and realistic graphics that bring a brand’s essence to life so that when consumers browse the aisles of their local supermarket, the design will stand out on the shelf.”

Meanwhile, SPG utilizes a digital impression system to create custom packaging, obtaining different designs in the same impression.

“This system is very interesting for testing new products or making promotions, so we can know how they will work without having to print much packaging, which allows us to reduce our resources and impact. Impression is not only a tool for the shelves but a way to make our work more environmentally friendly,” concludes Arjona Rambla.

By Joshua Poole