Purposeful Product Packaging

From grocery stores banning plastic bags to shampoo companies offering refill programs, sustainable packaging for single-use plastics and personal care products is no longer a dream of the future, but a horror of the present.

Product packaging innovation continues to make slow strides, as there are very little recycling options for personal care products and their packaging. The article, “Sustainable Packaging Decoded” written by Robert Bulla and Shanna Johns of APC Packaging, first defines what it means to be sustainable while surfacing key questions that need to be asked and answered. For background, APC Packaging describes themselves as “your solution for custom packaging” while also claiming to “offer high-quality and innovative packaging products for global beauty and skincare brands.” A few examples of APC Packaging includes GlamGlow, Peter Thomas Roth, Clinique, Dr.Brandt, and more. Throughout the article, Bulla and Johns highlight a few key sustainable materials as well as an analysis of how to begin to understand the complexities of product packaging. These highlights include:

• What does it mean to be sustainable?
• Perceptions, claims, and balance
• Plastic and Myths
• The Paper Bag Ban
• Glass and Compostables

It’s important to keep in mind that the study of sustainability is still a relatively new discipline. It is not uncommon that definitions of sustainability can vary from industry to industry. From a broader perspective, sustainability indicates the ability to be maintained. But when it comes to product packaging, I believe the responsibility of recycling falls more heavily on the firms R&D, as opposed to blaming the consumer. From a quick search, I was able to find that 94% of Americans support recycling, while only 34.7% of the same group actually implement recycling into their lives. Before we can even begin to have conversations of sustainable packaging efforts if consumers aren’t going to make the effort as well.

Bulla and Johns add the importance of balance when it comes to paper vs. plastic, or “eco-friendly” vs. “refillable.” They add that if a product has multiple components made up of different materials, reuse or recycling of the final product will often times either be too confusing for the average customer, or is unable to be properly recycled due to mix materials and will likely end up in a landfill anyway. Consumer knowledge and brand communication must find a similar balance as both sides of the business hold some accountability.

An example of this brand/consumer communication in the realm of sustainability is demonstrated by none other than Lush Cosmetics. Lush proudly claims themselves to be a leader in cosmetics sustainability and have adopted a business model that is clearly communicated and understood by their consumers. The claims include:

1. Naked: Thirty-five percent of our products are sold naked, with no packaging, so zero-waste washing is absolutely possible.
2. Post-consumer plastic: Our products in pots and bottles are sold in 100% post-consumer plastic. Our plastic bottles can be recycled through your city’s recycling program, but save and return your black pots to your local Lush store for…
3. Free face masks! Did you know you can return five clean black pots to any Lush store in exchange for a free fresh face mask? We chip them down and remold them into new black pots in a closed recycling loop.
4. Continuous improvements: In 2012, we made our clear bottles thinner by 10% to reduce our plastic usage. In 2016 alone, this saved almost 13,500 pounds of plastic!

In my previous blog post, I talked about a Lush skincare product that has been a staple in my personal care routine for years. I love using this example because over the years I have found myself with bags and bags full of empty lush pots, ready to be returned to the store and redeemed for a free product! Through this system, not only does Lush communicate the importance of recycling packaging, but they also make it easy for the consumer to participate in recycling programs and get more involved! As a marketer, finding ways to get consumers to participate is a constant struggle, but providing product incentives on top of a sense of good will has proven to be effective in this particular example. Additionally, by creating an incentive to return to a physical location, the brand in turn increases foot traffic along with the probability of making a new sale. Similar to Chipotle’s mission, Lush provides a great product that works, and allows sustainability and brand values to come second.

So, the question remains: what packaging materials are the most sustainable? The long answer would include meticulous research that goes into comparing resource availability as well as observing current and emerging technologies. The short answer, as is the answer to almost everything in marketing, is that it depends. There is no single right answer when it comes to working towards a more sustainable economy. In the next few years I hope to see more brands adapt product packaging recycling programs that are clearly communicated and easy for consumers to get on board with. I believe a key factor in creating inertia in regards to issues of sustainability lies within a firm’s ability to communicate to consumers in a language that can be easily understood and received.

If you’re interested in reading the full article, you can find it on page 58 of Global Cosmetics Industry’s April Digital Magazine.