What is Eco-Friendly Cosmetic Packaging?

The packaging you choose for your cosmetics sends a powerful message. Not only should it instill confidence in your customer’s decision to choose your product—it transmits your company’s values and allows buyers to imagine the quality and trustworthiness of the product inside.

At the same time, an increasing number of consumers expect eco-friendly packaging and choose brands that prioritize sustainability. Many customers are seeking out environmentally-conscious cosmetics companies, and your cosmetic packaging is fundamental for creating a loyal and enthusiastic customer base.

What is Eco-Friendly Packaging?

Whether packaging is eco-friendly or sustainable depends on the materials used to package a product and the resources it takes to produce and deliver it to customers. Actual eco-friendly packaging minimizes the impact of your operations on the environment and uses as few resources as possible. Operations include sourcing raw materials and employing sustainable shipping and logistics. 

From a business standpoint, having sustainable operations allows your company to label your packaging and products as environmentally friendly, enhancing your  social mission and making your cosmetic brand stand out among the crowd.

Eco-friendly packaging includes sustainable paper, bamboo, PCR (post-consumer resin) packaging, recycled materials, biodegradable materials, and organic fabrics, among others.

Why Eco-Friendly Packaging is Important

Using eco-friendly packaging is crucial because of its profound environmental impact. As a company, taking the necessary steps to better the environment and reduce your carbon footprint is both a moral responsibility and something your customers want.

Research shows that sixty-seven percent of consumers report that they place significant importance on products packaged in recycled materials, and 54% say they consider sustainable packaging when choosing a new product. In the younger consumer population (44 years and under), 83% say they’re willing to pay more for eco-friendly packaged products.

The cosmetic industry has a history of negatively affecting the environment. Whether your reasons for using sustainable packaging are rooted in your company’s environmental impact, consumer demand, or both, focusing on sustainability is an important step to exchanging that history for a better future.

Cosmetic Packaging and Sustainability

Cosmetic products include anything used for beautifying, cleansing, moisturizing, or promoting attractiveness. They tend to be packaged more luxuriously and elaborately than other products. 

Unfortunately, the more expensive a product is, the less sustainable its packaging tends to be. One report found that beauty packaging contributed a staggering 120 units of landfill waste every year, including paper, plastic, metals, and glass. Plastics and microplastics are the biggest culprit  and are a massive contributor to the devastating plastic pollution on our planet. Cosmetic products often focus on aesthetics over sustainability, using mixed packaging materials that make recycling challenging. Even when the materials are separated into different packaging components, consumers are far less likely to recycle with this extra step involved.

As environmental awareness increases and younger consumers gain more purchasing power, eco-friendly packaging and products with small carbon footprints will continue to be much more widely sought out. Examining how to make your products more sustainable and partnering with an eco-friendly packaging partner will allow you to stay competitive in today’s cosmetic retail marketplace.

Eco-Friendly Cosmetic Packaging Partners

Finding the best eco-friendly packaging for your cosmetic or beauty product can feel overwhelming. Many options are available to you, including recycled resins, bamboo, seaweed, beeswax, paper, and other plastic-free packaging. The challenge is weeding through your options to choose the materials that fit best into the logistics of your product packaging, shipping, and budget.

While the sustainability of your cosmetic packaging is important, it’s also essential to know which packaging is best for your specific product. For example, how far will your product be shipped? How fragile is it, and how much does it weigh? For marketing consistency, you’ll also want to consider your how to incorporate your company’s branding into the packaging.

An experienced eco-friendly packaging company can help navigate how to reduce your carbon footprint while keeping cosmetic packaging affordable and brand-centered. A trusted packaging partner can also help you determine your shipping and logistics impact. Sustainable packaging takes up less shelf space and has less total volume than most traditional options, so you can fit more products in each load, helping you save on shipping costs and reduce fossil fuel consumption by lowering the number of deliveries.

Related Content: How to Choose the Right Packaging Company

Takeaway

Choosing eco-friendly packaging for your cosmetic products automatically sets you apart from the competition. As more consumers place a high value on sustainability, contemplating how to switch to environmentally friendly business practices like sourcing your packaging and shipping materials will be key to your success.