Tubex launches monomaterial aluminum tube for cosmetics packaging to boost recyclability

06 Jul 2021 --- Tubex Aluminium Tubes is launching the Monotube, a skin care packaging solution made entirely of recycled aluminum, which features a snap-off closure that can reseal the tube.

First to try the new solution, Ren Clean Skincare has chosen the Monotube for its eco-smart serum samples. 

Tubex reached a packaging milestone in 2019 when it launched the Blue Tube Evo, touted as the “world’s first” aluminum tube made of 95 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) aluminum. 

Aluminum “from base to tip”
The Monotube is made of 100 percent recycled aluminum, 95 percent of which is PCR while the remaining 5 percent comes from post-industrial recycled (PIR) material. 

The solution has an aluminum closure instead of a plastic cap, which makes the tube even easier to recycle. Monotube is made of 100% recycled aluminum.

As every part of the Monotube is produced from a single material, it is manufactured in just one production step, including the closure – there is no need to separately manufacture and screw on a plastic cap. 

The Monotube’s design gives consumers the option of using all the product in one go or resealing it temporarily.

The Monotube is available in a range of sizes, such as sample-size, travel-size, single- or multi-use. This makes the product a versatile solution for a wide range of products – from cosmetics and food to adhesives and medicines, the company says.

Compared to conventional packaging for samples, such as sachets, the Monotube makes it much easier to dispense the product. 

High circularity
Aluminum has “excellent barrier properties” and is a valuable and durable material that can be infinitely recycled, the company details.

The metal can be melted down and reformed time and again without losing its premium quality, Tubex notes. 

Around 75 percent of all aluminum ever produced is still in use – and the recycling rate of aluminum packaging in Europe is 69 percent, which already exceeds the EU’s recycling targets for 2025.

The specially developed aluminum alloy used for the Monotube supports the circular economy by incorporating recycled aluminum. 

Combined with a highly carbon-sensitive production across Tubex’s supply chain, this means the Monotube is minimizing carbon emissions and scoring high on circularity, the company highlights.Monotube’s design offers the option of using all the product in one go or resealing it temporarily.

Collaboration with Ren
Tubex partnered with Ren Clean Skincare, a brand committed to more sustainable packaging, for this first application to market. 

Globally, in the beauty and personal care industries, 122 billion sample sachets are produced annually, which are typically incinerated or landfilled every year, Tubex says.

By using the Monotube instead of difficult to recycle sachets, Ren Clean Skincare is boosting its Zero Waste pledge, only using packaging designed for recycling or reuse.

In a similar move, Henkel’s Beauty Care arm is adding 100 percent recycled aluminum tubes to its Hair Coloration packaging portfolio.

Meanwhile, European Aluminium and Metal Packaging Europe recently launched a joint roadmap toward achieving 100 percent aluminum beverage can recycling by 2030. 

Edited by Kristiana Lalou