“World’s first” cardboard cosmetic tubes give L’Oréal its day in the sun

18 May 2020 --- L’Oréal brand La Roche-Posay has achieved a global first by packaging its Anthelios sunscreen in a cardboard tube, starting this month in the French market. The cardboard tube solution reduces plastic usage by a reported 45 percent. The innovative tube is the result of L’Oréal’s collaboration with cosmetic packaging heavyweight Albéa and is the first in a long line of cardboard solutions to follow, according to the companies. Cosmetic specialist Kiehl is set to become the next brand to adopt the eco-friendly cardboard packaging solution in 2021.

“The launch of these very first Anthelios tubes to incorporate cardboard represents an important step in our quest to reduce the environmental footprint of packaging. We intend to extend this experimental technology to other iconic products of the brand and to offer it in as many countries as possible,” highlights Laetitia Toupet, International General Manager of La Roche-Posay.

The novel cardboard packaging will allow brands from the L’Oréal group to replace the majority of the plastic currently used in their tubes with new bio-based and certified paper-like material. 

L’Oréal has achieved a global first by packaging sunscreen in a cardboard tube and reducing plastic usage by a reported 45 percent. “We have adapted our manufacturing process to incorporate this new technology, replacing part of the plastic in the tube with cardboard. This is a first in our market,” comments Barbara de Saint-Aubin, Managing Director at Albéa Tubes Europe.

While not entirely recyclable, as it still holds several plastic parts, the new tubes allow significant environmental gains, the company says. The environmental benefit of this innovation was evaluated with a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) – an advanced tool for comprehensive assessments of products’ environmental impact. The carbon footprint of the new Anthelios 200 ml tube is “the lowest in its category,” according to La Roche-Posay and Albéa’s LCA. 

“Since 2007 we have been constantly improving the environmental footprint of our packaging. Today we are going one step further and launching this new technology based on certified paper. This innovative, alternative solution is an integral part of the Group’s packaging strategy,” says Philippe Thuvien, Director of Packaging and Development at L’Oréal. 

The switch to partly cardboard tubes enables La Roche-Posay to move toward its goal to significantly reduce the use of virgin plastics in its products by replacing them with recycled materials. In 2020, La Roche-Posay will pass the 25 percent mark of recycled plastic (10 times more than in 2018). The brand’s ambition is to increase this proportion to 70 percent by 2025, the equivalent of 10,000 metric tons of virgin plastic saved in five years.

Since 2012, the brand has also focused on reducing the weight of its tubes to reduce the use of plastic. In 2020, all large format bottles will have their weight reduced by 10 percent.

Collaborating on environmental sustainability
L’Oréal first announced that it was working with Albéa to develop paper and cardboard packaging late last year. L’Oréal and Albéa share an awareness of their responsibilities as major industrial actors. The two companies are committed to the Ellen McArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, which promotes a circular economy. 

This innovation is another step forward to improve the environmental footprint of L’Oréal’s packaging.“Albéa’s commitment to sustainability goes back 15 years and is reflected in our broad range of responsible packaging,” says Gilles Swyngedauw, Vice President Marketing, Innovation and Sustainability at Albéa. “Our ambition today is to accelerate the development of innovative, responsible solutions, to dare break the codes, to aim for breakthroughs.”

This innovation is another step forward to improve the environmental footprint of L’Oréal’s packaging. It’s part of the group’s strategic program for sustainable development, Sharing Beauty With All, and is based on concrete initiatives: respecting biodiversity and the environment, reducing the volume and weight of packaging by only using necessary components and optimal dimensions, replacing high-impact materials and promoting circularity.

The company’s personal care division is a major contributor to its plastic packaging use. To address this, the company is exploring the possibilities of bamboo toothbrushes, shampoo bars and cardboard deodorant sticks, as well as refillable toothpaste tablets.

Last year, L’oreal also launched a new range, coined Seed Phytonutrients, which combined sustainable ingredient sourcing with a landmark shift toward paper packaging. The products come in a shower-friendly paper that is both recyclable and compostable. “Sustainability is very much linked to packaging but this also requires the right approach,” Amit Tewari, Group Leader, Phytochemical Ingredient Science at L’Oréal Research and Innovation, tells PackagingInsights.

By Kristiana Lalou