Sulapac equips refillable lip balm brand Above & Beyond with wood-based packaging

25 Feb 2022 --- UK-based refillable lip balm brand Above & Beyond is partnering with Sulapac, a microplastics solutions provider for cosmetic packaging. Sulapac’s bio-based and sustainably sourced material will be used for Above & Beyond’s lip balms. 

“The natural appearance and haptic feel make it stand out. Cosmetics brands appreciate the ceramic sound and matte finish of our premium materials. Fine wood chips give Sulapac a unique look. Consumers can feel that it is not conventional plastic,” Dr. Suvi Haimi, CEO and co-founder of Sulapac, tells PersonalCareInsights.

The co-founder of Above & Beyond, Bryn Walbrook, also speaks with PersonalCareInsights, expressing concerns over single-use products in landfills.

“We need to accommodate the current throwaway behavior of society at large. This means Above & Beyond must both accommodate audiences that want products that last forever or just until they’re finished with them.”

“Our Sulapac casing allows us to offer audiences a more [environmentally] sustainable alternative to single-use behaviors.” He adds that refillability is “a simple answer to a complex problem, and we knew that if this was to work, we needed to make it simple and accessible.” 

Wallbrook goes on to highlight the challenges of creating refillable products.The company name Sulapac comes from a combination of the founders’ first names (Suvi and Laura) and “packaging.”

“Refillability is not always easy, nor is it always the answer. That said, we have seen that when brands create personal value and social capital around a refillable object, it serves to inspire a behavioral shift, from single-use throwaway culture to use, reuse and love refillable one.”

Above & Beyond allows consumers to purchase an eco-box online, where they receive an aluminum-based case and three refills according to a choice of flavors. When customers run out of refills, they can be sent refills by scanning the QR code behind the case, which will direct them to a refills window. 

Changing single-use mentality
The brand notes that lip balms are the most used and easy-to-lose cosmetic products. Additionally, they are difficult to recycle and are often enclosed in plastic. This problem means that it can take years for the cases to decompose, with microplastics potentially ending up in animals and humans.

“Our single-use mentality with daily products is killing the planet. Unless we all want to move to Mars with Elon Musk, we will need to treat the Earth much better,” continues Walbrook. “Caring for the planet is the right thing to do,” but failing to do so will result in apathy.”

“Apathy is the enemy of [environmental] sustainability. After all, we have known for a long time what we need to do to reverse the damage we have done to our planet and yet here we are, talking about the same thing. We need to talk about this issue differently to create rousing change.”

Innova Market Insights has found the planet’s health is a top concern for consumers, pegging “Shared Planet” as its top trend for 2022. 

Wood-based packaging
Haimi explains that the Sulapac material has the “good qualities of conventional plastic.” Sulapac is made of wood sourced from industrial side streams originating from sustainably managed forests combined with plant-based binders.Sulapac has previously collaborated on packaging with Chanel, Haeckels, Green People, Stop The Water While Using Me, Maar, Akane, Santaverde and I+M. Image credit: Chanel.

“The part ‘sula’ is a reference to the Finnish word ‘sulaa,’ which means ‘to melt.’ The Sulapac material biodegrades without leaving behind permanent microplastics – like a piece of wood in nature,” shares Hami. 

The material can be industrially processed “during a composting process at 40 - 60C,” notes the company. 

“At Sulapac, every step of the value chain, from raw material sourcing to end-of-life, is carefully considered from the sustainability point of view. For example, our materials have passed the standardized tests showing that they don’t have ecotoxic impacts in the natural environment,” assures Haimi. 

“Sulapac materials have been tested and certified by our in-house scientists and third-party consultants.”

To speed up the decomposition process at the product’s end of life and use fewer materials, Sulapac worked with Above & Beyond to create durable packaging with thinner wall sections, describes Andy Hill, co-founder at Above & Beyond and managing director at King of Shaves.

Haimi previously dug deeper on environmental sustainability hurdles in cosmetics packaging. 

Among other collaborations with Sulapac, Chanel selected Sulapac for its fragrance bottle caps and packaging for its N°1 de Chanel’s makeup line, and Manik Skincare used Sulapac’s eco-packaging for a vegan tattoo care line. 

By Venya Patel