Personal care packagers target aesthetics, functionality & verified sustainability
Key takeaways
- Personal care packagers are enhancing sustainability by prioritizing recyclability, reuse, and paperization.
- Packaging companies are innovating with refillable formats, lightweight materials, and eco-friendly packaging solutions.
- Consumer demand for scientifically validated sustainability claims is pushing brands to develop solutions that balance performance, aesthetics, and responsibility.
Personal care packaging providers are scaling recyclability, reuse, and paperization as consumers increasingly scrutinize sustainability claims that are not sufficiently scientifically backed.
Packaging Insights speaks to Ampacet, Aptar Beauty, Bormioli Luigi, Fedrigoni Special Papers, and Silgan Dispensing to find out more about their latest packaging formats targeting the beauty segment.
François Thibeau, strategic business manager for Flexibles, E&E, and Sustainability at Ampacet, highlights recyclability, material reduction, and reuse as key shifts in personal care packaging.
He notices “a strong focus on recyclability by design, rather than end-of-life disposal, and increased demand for monomaterial packaging streams that can be efficiently sorted and recycled.”
“There is an increased use of post-consumer recycled plastic, lightweighting, and plastic reduction, including thinner bottle walls, smaller caps and pumps, and the removal of secondary plastic packaging [for example, over-caps, wraps, and trays].”
“Another shift is the greater interest in refillable and reusable formats that align with the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation’s waste reduction and reuse ambitions. Common formats include rigid outer plastic bottles, flexible refill pouches, and click-in cartridges for creams, serums, and makeup.”
Isabelle Lallemant, global marketing director for Beauty at Silgan, tells us: “Our products, including the ERA fully recyclable airless pump-on-tube solution, are designed around three main pillars: performance, sustainability, and the consumer experience.”
Silgan's says its ERA airless pump-on-tube solution is fully recyclable.“Performance and user experience go hand in hand. When moving to a more sustainable pump, the goal is to preserve aesthetics, intuitive use, and increase performance. This is where Silgan stands out. We’ve taken well‑performing existing pumps and created a more eco‑friendly solution.”
Communicating sustainability
Innova Market Insights recently named “Substantiated Sustainability” as its Top Packaging Trend for 2026, as consumers increasingly demand packaging sustainability claims to be scientifically validated.
Meanwhile, Séverine Calmus, Luxury director at Fedrigoni Special Papers, points to a Bain & Company study, conducted in partnership with Fedrigoni Special Papers, which finds that over 30% of sales in the luxury packaging market sector over the next three years will be of products marketed as sustainable.
“For luxury beauty packaging, it is key to preserve premium sensorial codes [color depth, touch, finishes, unboxing] while accelerating sustainability expectations. That’s why we focus on solutions that combine creativity, performance, and credible sustainability, where impact is measurable yet unmistakably luxury.”
A spokesperson for Aptar Beauty adds that when communicating its personal care packaging solutions, the company aims to illustrate how sustainability and luxury can go hand-in-hand without compromising on performance or aesthetics.
“A perfect example of packaging innovation fostering sustainability is the custom solutions we co-created for French skin care brand Clarins. The patented double-chamber packaging of the Double Serum is made of 94% recyclable materials and contains 24% of recycled material.”
“The Total Eye Lift comes in a premium refillable airless packaging made to last. The reusable main casing houses reloads designed for recyclability, using an intuitive push and pull motion.”
Bormioli Luigi’s Ecoline range, which features lightweight and refillable designs.
Simone Baratta, Beauty Business Unit director at Bormioli Luigi, says the tension between aesthetics, functionality, and environmental responsibility has become “a genuine driver of innovation.”
“The challenge is no longer to choose between these three, but to align them in a coherent and credible way, enhancing product performance and perceived value.”
NIR for recycling
Thibeau spotlights Ampacet’s Rec-NIR-Black range of near infra-red (NIR)-detectable black masterbatch packaging solutions. “This innovation was developed to address a long-standing recyclability challenge associated with black plastic packaging.”
“Traditionally, black packaging has been invisible to NIR sorting systems because conventional carbon black pigments absorb NIR wavelengths. As a result, black plastics could not be accurately identified or sorted by polymer type at recycling facilities and were typically diverted to residual waste streams, incineration, or landfill,” he explains.
“This posed a significant challenge for beauty and personal care brands, where black packaging is widely used to convey a premium, elegant aesthetic that consumers strongly associate with quality and performance. Brands were effectively forced to choose between sustainability and design.”
Rec-NIR-Black is Ampacet’s range of NIR-detectable black masterbatch packaging solutions.Thibeau says the Rec-NIR-Black overcomes this trade-off by enabling black packaging to be detected and sorted by polymer type within existing NIR recycling infrastructure, which allows black plastics to re-enter the recycling stream without compromising the “deep, rich” black appearance that brands and consumers expect.
“The solution supports circular economy goals while preserving brand identity, solving a critical challenge for both recyclers and beauty and personal care brands.”
Ampacet will showcase its REC-NIR-Black portfolio at the Plastics Recycling Show Europe 2026 in Amsterdam, Netherlands (May 5–6).
Refillables for fragrance, skin care & makeup
Bormioli Luigi’s Baratta tells us that the company invests in refillable packaging, focusing on the fragrance, skin care, and makeup segments.
“Building on our Ecoline range, which features lightweight and refillable designs, our group has developed further standard screw-neck bottles. Edge is the latest addition to our collection, and it is notable for its distinctive design.”
The Italian packaging manufacturer also offers a refillable glass jar featuring a removable inner cup, also made of glass. The patented concept Reverre is available as a ready-to-go solution or for customization in shape and size.
“Within our makeup collection, Swing represents the second generation of glass lipsticks, featuring thinner walls, a more modern silhouette, and total recyclability. Through these innovations, our challenge is to create functional and durable designs that minimize environmental impact,” says Baratta.
Aptar Beauty's Nomad Refill 10 mL travel spray perfume bottle.
“Reducing glass weight and incorporating recycled materials allows us to limit the use of raw materials. Developing all-glass products is a logical choice, as glass is an infinitely recyclable material.”
A spokesperson for Aptar Beauty argues that refillable formats and travel-size minis are shaping the fragrance market category. “Aptar Beauty launched Nomad Refill, the industry’s first 10 mL travel spray, which is directly refillable on your perfume bottle, in less than five seconds.”
“This versatile solution is compatible with all full-size perfumes with a standard screw neck. It is quick, clean, and secure, and prevents overflow and overpressure. This new technology enhances the at-home refill experience, while offering premium customization options.”
Plastic-to-paper transition
Calmus says Fedrigoni Special Papers’ customers seek aesthetics, environmental sustainability, and performance when choosing advanced papers over plastic for personal care packaging.
“We are proud of accelerating the plastic-to-paper transition with papers that keep a premium look while improving recyclability. The Terrae solution of the Materia Viva range brings a distinctive natural aesthetic using mineral-origin pigments, aligned with clean and durable beauty cues.”
Fedrigoni Special Papers aims to support beauty brands’ frequent limited edition, gift set, personalization, and fast mock-up launches. “Our digital collection delivers a large range of papers for digital printing for packaging, while preserving the premium look, color accuracy, and finishing quality expected in beauty packaging without any compromise on the performance.”
Fedrigoni Special Papers' Carte à parfum collection receives, retains, and releases fragrance essence.“We also strengthened our shopping bag selection, designed for higher resistance and a premium hand-feel [coordinated packaging including secondary packaging and shopping bags],” adds Calmus.
Discussing the benefits of providing an olfactive experience, she points to the Carte à parfum collection featuring papers specifically produced to receive, retain, and release fragrance essences. Its performances have been endorsed by a third-party laboratory.
“Suitable for testing and promotion, this collection completes Fedrigoni's range of papers for the fragrance industry, responding to a strategic need in the luxury market. Made with long fibers, ECF pulp, and FSC-certified, Carte à Parfum stands out for its natural aesthetic and refined tactile appeal, elevating the sensory experience.”
