Part of luxury beauty products – whether it is skincare, cosmetics, etc is the packaging they come in. The product packaging usually has bags of uniqueness and is high end – glass containers, for example. From brands like Typology to Augustine Bader to Darphin, they use glass bottles, which feel smooth and elegant in a customer’s hand. Just the weight of them adds to the perception of luxury. All customers want to feel they have purchased a product that will not only perform to whatever promise it has made, but will also look attractive in their bathroom, or their dressing table in their bedroom. 

Using products like glass increases the overall cost of the product compared to one that is using plastic. Plastic usage has exploded in its use since the latter half of the 20th century. In 1950, 1.5 million tonnes of plastic were produced, and by 2016 that number was up to 335 million. It has been estimated that only 9% of the tonnes of plastic ever produced has been recycled. We must keep in mind, though, that glass has a significant energy cost. 

This plastic waste is stored in landfills, drains, or nature and is a true environmental disaster: it takes plastic more than 4 centuries to fully degrade. That means plastic made in 2000 won’t be degraded at least until the years starting in 2300 – or 

roughly five to six generations from now. Most of the plastic from the land winds up in the sea due to runoff and wind. According to a 2015 study by the Australian National Science Agency, 99% of marine life will have eaten plastic by 2050. 

This bring us back to packaging, and luxury products. In the prior article ‘The Circular Economy and Beauty Tech’ we talked about various points from New Product Development (NPD) to end use, and how companies could begin to move into the circular economy. We are aware that this is a large task for many companies – yet, many had made a commitment to do it and have. Some key brands in the cosmetic industry have made deliberate moves towards sustainability while trying to merge the often-jarring ideas of luxury and responsibility. An example is Shiseido, a brand that themselves stated they were striving ‘to be the most trusted beauty company in the 

world’ by protecting beauty both for the customer and the environment. That goes back to 1926 when they launched their first refillable products. 

Today, efforts are being done by some at the packaging level to include in the circular economy, as our last article discussed. One of the very real options in the luxury cosmetics industry is the use of refillable bottles. A customer can have a bottle and refill it a number of times for more products – it can even introduce a point of ease for the customer, by joining a brand’s subscription plan. Through varying technology emerging, the brand will know exactly when to send a refill. That removes waste from the cycle, allows a brand to plan better and reduce waste on their side, and creates ease and introduces a customer to sustainability, transparency and their initial steps in the circular economy. 

By using glass, as mentioned earlier, customers can keep 

their bottle, and have it refilled as many times as they want – this alone creates a tremendous reduction of waste. Glass is an infinitely recyclable material, unlike plastic. However, we must note that it is only clear, transparent glass that is recyclable. Because of the higher production cost than plastic, glass is currently more realistic for the luxury brands, where customers change products less often. 

It is key that cosmetic companies engage with customers on this journey towards making a difference in sustainability and transparency. Social media can help improve transparency and get a customer further involved in the efforts of a brand. It can also create a dialogue between the customer and brand that will allow for ecosystems to spring up that will benefit the brand and the customer. Additionally, it will add more to the circular economy and our planet. The customer is starting to express a clear understanding 

around the impact that packaging can have on the environment, and the role they can play in it by the choices they make. However, more education is needed at all levels of beauty – not just luxury brands – to start to get customers earlier and younger aware of the impact of their beauty choices on the world. Having the customer understand that a luxury product doesn’t need loads of packaging to be luxury and that being minimalist is not only beautiful, but responsible helps educate the market further and is necessary to reduce the environmental impact of the industry and involve the customer in the next iteration of it. 

Depending on the products and the customer needs, other re-charge and re-place options with inner / outer material models are available. Additionally, new materials are constantly being developed, created and tested, and new materials can help here. In this area of beauty, packaging is not static, but iterative. Many brands are trying to be more 

responsible, and sustainable. 

Soon, beauty will be elevated so it is about more than just packaging and products. Customers will begin to search out and eventually demand comprehensive brand experiences that come with the product and packaging. In order to deliver that, data and technology are the only route to fuel that ambitious, inspirational and unique experience a brand can have with a customer. In moving to adding experiences that are driven by data / technology and a mutual relationship, relationships between brands and their customers will be the ones that flourish, and reward the brands, the customers, and the planet. 

To find out more about Szentia and what we do, feel free to email us at beautygreentech@szentia.com or follow us on LinkedIn