Recycling tricky cosmetic containers? "It's the industry's turn to answer"

Less plastic, paper tubes, etc... Essential environmental values captivate consumers

'Zero Waste' Rise of Eco-Friendly Cosmetic Containers

Cosmetic containers made of various and complex materials are a product characteristic that requires both functional and aesthetic considerations, so there are many materials that are not suitable for recycling. As a result, the generation rate of waste is considerable.

According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the world's plastic production in 2018 was 3.59 tons, but the amount of recycled plastic was only 9%, a small figure. The cosmetic industry, which uses a lot of plastic, cannot be free from these figures. It was found that 60% of domestic cosmetic containers use plastic materials.

The zero-waste movement is booming as a way for a better earth with advanced citizenship and efforts to prevent the deterioration of environmental pollution. L'Oreal Group, Estée Lauder, and Beiersdorf companies are participating in this movement, and in Korea, Amorepacific and LG Household & Health Care are presenting eco-friendly achievements through annual sustainability reports.

Along with the “zero waste” movement, interest in the use of paper packaging to replace plastic is growing.

L'Oreal Group and Alvea, a French beauty packaging company, developed the first paper-based cosmetic packaging tube that replaces plastic. In addition, the La Roche-Posay brand launched the industry's first sunscreen product using a paper tube container. Frommom, a baby skin care brand containing domestic colostrum ingredients, uses FSC (Forest Management Council) certified paper, an international NGO, for all product packaging materials. It is part of protecting the “environment where children can live”.

FSC certification, created by the International Forestry Management Council, is an international certification with 10 principles and 56 standards, such as maintaining biodiversity in forests, and is an eco-friendly certification granted to paper and products produced in a sustainable manner.

As interest in research and development of eco-friendly and sustainable packaging containers is increasing both at home and abroad for environmental preservation, cosmetics vendors and manufacturers have to focus their attention on this.