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Markets: The fresh face of cosmetics packs
Jill Park, Packaging News, 03 February 2010
Plastic packaging has long reigned supreme in the luxury cosmetics sector, but, as many challenger brands move into cartonboard and rigid boxes to stand out, print is back on the agenda, finds Jill Park
Plastic has long been a dominant force in packaging for the cosmetics sector. Most of the big-name, high-end brands, including industry staples such as Chanel, Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, choose to pack their products in the material, leaving contenders looking for new ways to stand out. It is among these brands that print is being used on secondary, and, in some cases, primary, packs to differentiate products.
San Francisco-based cosmetics house Benefit was one of the first brands to use print to help its range stand out from the luxury crowd. The company's powder products are packed in rigid boxes, while its liquid and cream products are packed in plastic, which is then housed in colourful printed cartons.
Benefit's best-known range is probably its blusher powders in rigid boxes. Its packaging is created by covering solid board boxes in printed paper, a technique that is popular in the palette sector of challenger brands, which are often aimed at a younger audience.
"These brands tend to go for something different. They know they can't compete with brands like Dior and Chanel," says Chesapeake UK and Ireland artwork and constructional design manager Gill Wright. Another benefit, she adds, is that many of the packs are imported from the Far East. "Their weight is a lot lower than the plastic competition, so shipping from China costs less." Chesapeake is currently looking into an alternative to rigid boxes that uses a biodegradable plastic-lined board in place of the metal component currently required.
Cosmetics packaging designer and manufacturer HCT has created packaging for a host of brands, including Urban Decay, TooFaced and Almay, that have used board packaging to differentiate themselves. Creative director Rebecca Goswell believes board can be a successful tool within the cosmetics industry.
"It allows vivid and fashion-led graphics, which can be changed from season to season - linking with fashion trends," she says. "It's more versatile than plastic or metal components." However, Goswell adds, shapes have to be simple, "as card is laminated and then covered with a top layer by hand".
Cheaper set-up
Rigid boxes and cartonboard packs benefit from cheaper tooling costs than those for injection-moulding plastic. "This allows smaller, niche companies to create striking packaging, and also gives the larger brands the flexibility of creating one-off limited edition pieces throughout the year to rejuvenate sales and give specific outlets exclusive launches," says Goswell.
There are, however, some disadvantages to using packaging made from board. The material's use is often restricted to powder, and occasionally cream, products as there is a danger that oil from the products can seep into the card, causing discolouration and marking. On top of this, as the card is often laminated and then covered with a top paper surface by hand, creating packaging of this type can be a very labour-intensive process.
As cosmetics are often kept in handbags, their packaging must also be able to withstand the rigours of being stuffed in with other items. Plastic packaging is generally robust enough to endure such conditions, but products made from board can run the risk of becoming dog-eared, detracting from the premium look and feel of the product.
As cosmetics are often percieved as luxury items, many products in the sector are packed in secondary cartonboard packs. Not only does this provide extra space for information about the product, but it makes the product feel more special, too, as Webb Scarlett deVlam's (WSdV) design manager Dominic Burke explains. "[It] elevates the experience by introducing a reveal ritual as you peel through the layers to get to the product inside," he says.
The advantage of cartonboard is that it not only converts well, but is an excellent printing surface and can take a series of finishes.
WSdV's Burke agrees that the finishes that can be achieved using cartonboard make it a highly versatile medium for the cosmetics sector. "This can range from foils that control the direction of the light refraction, giving a very eye-catching impact, to a soft-touch rubberised finish for a sensory experience - both work in cosmetics."
Chesapeake has created a series of finishes for cartonboard that replicate everything from rubber to leather and snake skin. "Often we don't even know if we can do it, but we get on the press and try," says Wright, whose team has developed a much-coveted brushed aluminium effect for cartonboard.
Natural success
At the other end of the scale, some companies have chosen to capitalise on the qualities offered by natural board. In the past, Swedish paper company Korsnäs did not operate in the cosmetics arena as it specialised in brown board, which brands felt projected the wrong image.
However, the company now offers Korsnäs White, which, as end user director Darryl Rice explains, "fits in with what the cosmetics people want for the primary packaging". Yet there are also brands that have started to use the brown board for cosmetics packaging. French cosmetics brand L'Occitane, for example, uses brown material supplied by Korsnäs.
"They're very much focused on this natural image," says Rice. "They are trying to avoid use of plastics or oil-based materials and use sustainable packaging, such as FSC board."
While it may not be a ground-breaking material, some designers are starting to think of new ways to use cartonboard. Turkish carton manufacturer Venk Offset recently won a Procarton/ECMA award for its Gabrini Maku-up kit box. The sliding box is solely made from cartonboard, making it both environmentally friendly and cost-effective, plus it makes an inroad into the traditional realm of the rigid box.
Boxes Prestige sales manager Ray Grundy says that there are advantages to using cartons instead of rigid boxes. "There's the time lag from shipping rigid boxes in from the Far East and I suppose the cost is also closing the gap [with cartonboard], nowadays," he says.
Rigid boxes from China remain the most common type of pack for printed cosmetics, but there are signs that carton alternatives are starting to make an appearance. However, at the moment cartonboard is limited to the secondary packaging sector where tactile varnishes, in particular, are increasingly popular.
While some like Benefit and Urban Decay have used the material to take on the big players in the luxury market, others use the packs as promotional items to add to their ranges frequently throughout the year. All of which means printed board packaging remains the realm of challenger brands.
BARE AMBITION
Nude Brand Creation called on carton manufacturer Beamglow to produce packs for a new range of cosmetics, following the success of the design agency's own luxury self-tan range Makebelieve. Enhance consists of five products including bronzer, concealer, tinted moisturiser, lip gloss and highlighter. London-based Nude formulated the products as well as designing its packaging.
"I don't think using cartonboard as such brings anything new to a brand, unless you evaluate how it has been used. It's not a ground-breaking material and has been around for years," says partner of Nude and Makebelieve Mike Parsonson. "But, in the case of Enhance, we printed on the reverse, which had an uncoated finish - this made the inks react in a different way to printing on a coated stock and gave us a tactile luxury feel that intrigues.
"I feel the main benefits to us of using cartonboard are the ability to print using a vast array of inks, foils, varnishes, embossing and die cuts along with its folding properties, which help when considering interesting structures."
THE BOARD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
Cosmetics packaging designer and manufacturer HCT has consistently been the company to watch in terms of its work with board packaging. The international company, which has offices in Clapham, London, has repeatedly used the material for brands such as Almay, TooFaced and longstanding customer Urban Decay.
The company's Californian office recently collaborated with cosmetics brand TooFaced on its The Bronzed and The Beautiful Bronzing palette, launched in July last year. The compact is small enough to fit in a handbag and epitomises the on-the-go nature of modern cosmetics, but unlike many luxury brands the pack is made from board laminated with paper.
Also last July, Almay launched a range of eco-friendly compacts from HCT made from 50% recycled paper, showing that board can be used for everyday ranges as well as the gifting products like Urban Decay's elaborate book of shadows that incorporates pop-up cartonboard butterfly decorations into the palette.
Previously, HCT has also explored the opportunities of using cardboard for lipstick tubes, having used the material for the brand, Read My Lips in the US.
"Customers love cartonboard because whatever you can do in the printing industry, you can carry into cartonboard packaging," says HCT creative director Rebecca Goswell. "Your print quality is more refined, meaning you can get finer text and information on to your packs - sometimes negating the need for secondary packaging - and designs are also more refined and can be far more complex and adventurous than decorating on plastic." |
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Rexam cuts jobs in France make-up restructure
Simeon Goldstein, packagingnews.co.uk, 14 September 2009
Rexam is to cut 188 jobs in France as it restructures its make-up business to remain competitive in a declining market.
The London-headquartered metal and plastic packaging firm's make-up division recorded a 30% drop in global sales, according to French media. France recorded a reduction of more than 50%.
As a result, it is restructuring two sites, Simandre and Reboul, making 96 and 92 redundancies respectively of a total 614 workforce. Both sites are expected to make an EUR 11m loss in the 2009 financial year.
"This restructuring will maintain competitiveness in the French make-up sector," the firm's management is quoted as saying.
Rexam spokesman Jonathan Thornton said the move formed part of the global restructuring of the plastics packaging business that had been hit by the economic downturn.
"It's a question of positioning the company for when the upturn comes. It is not a pleasant job to have to make redundancies but is necessary for the future of the company," he said.
The Reboul site will now focus on lipsticks, while the Simandre site will work on closures and the restructuring will enable shared innovation of new products.
The firm is currently negotiations with unions and workers representatives.
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A reversal of fortunes
Tess Raine, Packaging News, 03 July 2007
Rebranding a pack can turn an underperforming product into a global success story ¨C and vice versa.
ON A SMALL BUDGET
Design brief
Elmwood Design took a budget of £40,000 and repositioned home cleaning brand Buster with new pack graphics alone. The pack shape couldn¡¯t be changed but colour and labels were redesigned to stand out. ¡°We redesigned the Buster logo with a U-bend, so its function is immediately recognisable,¡± says Simon Preece, business development director at Elmwood. Bright colours and different versions of the plughole graphic identify products. ¡°It is now a very clear proposition,¡± says Preece. ¡°The consumer could see the pack and say, ¡®That unblocks the sink¡¯.¡±
Market response
Challs International was a small player in the household cleaner market before its Buster brand was repacked. Since its launch in July 2004, Buster¡¯s value sales have increased by 84%. At the same time, there has been a 4% overall decline in the drain specialist sub-sector, with value sales of a competitor falling by 7.4%. Buster is now sold in Waitrose and Morrisons in the UK, and Aldi and Lidl in Europe.
Expert analysis
Design Effectiveness Awards judges in 2006 praised Challs International¡¯s ¡°clear goal¡± and ¡°brave and well-thought-out strategy¡± to re-categorise the range. Karsten Henze, chairman of the International Design Centre, Berlin, singled out Elmwood¡¯s brand work as particularly effective and showing ¡°very impressive growth in a declining market¡±. Mike Hussey, managing director of Land Securities, added that ¡°the fact that they have not radically altered the package itself is impressive¡±.
WAITING FOR TAKEOFF
Design brief
Design Bridge was briefed to rebrand Beefeater Gin as less of a tourist takeaway and more of a modern London classic. Group creative director Graham Shearsby says Design Bridge was told to make the bottle suit Pernod Ricard¡¯s aspiration for the brand; it had to have vitality, tradition and originality.
So the firm redesigned the bottle to be reminiscent of a London brick, redrew the Beefeater to make him ¡°more iconic and less like a ladybird logo¡±, redesigned the logo so it always features ¡®London¡¯ underneath the word ¡®Beefeater¡¯, and reinvigorated the colour red all over.
Market response
Beefeater Gin was launched to the trade this January. It still has to make its debut on the shelves at duty free, but the response from those who have seen the pack suggests that Beefeater is no longer just a drink for tourists. As well as designing the packs, Design Bridge has helped Pernod Ricard create an identity for the brand online. An interactive website suggests ways and places to drink the gin in London and extends the brand¡¯s quintessential character.
Expert analysis
Jonathan Sands, creative director at Elmwood, gives some tips for designers tasked with rebranding packs. ¡°Too many designers design for themselves rather than think of design as a communication mechanism. Talk to the consumer in the aisles. Understand what people are looking for and what attracts them first. The actual product function is what needs to stand out, and the brand is a comfort.¡± Shelf standout is key, he says, and as Beefeater looks set to take a sturdier space in shops, the packs have all the features that should make for a successful rebrand.
OVERSEAS ACCEPTANCE
Design brief
Coley Porter Bell radically redesigned the packs for Kotex sanitary protection products in 2003 after consumer research told them women wanted to feel empowered and proud of their feminity, rather than hide it. The design firm took the bold decision to use striking photographs of red feminine objects on a bright white background. When the firm tailored the designs for the US market in 2005, it chose red again, but on softer pictures of flowers. ¡°These worked better in the US as they found them more sensual than the lipstick and knickers imagery used here,¡± says Stephen Bell, creative director at CPB.
Market response
Kotex relied on nothing but its pack designs when it rebranded in 2003, but it changed from being a weak brand with declining sales to being a stand-out product that 780% more women than before could recognise. It is another good example of how packaging can lift a brand without any other marketing spend. The brand started to hold its own against big players like Always and has gone on to make an impact abroad. The change of designs for the American market was successful and sales increased ¡°substantially¡±, according to Bell.
Expert analysis
Jane Clancey, head of marketing strategy at the BBC, said of Kotex, when it won a Design Effectiveness award in 2004, that: ¡°The design crosses cultures and has a positive impact on sales as well as consumer perception, making Kotex a nicer necessity.¡±
The packs answered the difficult challenge to make a product that had traditionally been discrete, stand out and be noticed.
REPOSITIONING A BRAND
Design brief
Pearlfisher had a budget of around £50,000 for the task of repositioning the Green & Black¡¯s (G&B) brand from ¡®worthy¡¯ organic to luxury, premium chocolate. The new identity emphasises a mass luxury appeal with a dark brown corporate colour communicating the intense, rich chocolate flavour of the product. The gold typography of the logo denotes the brand¡¯s premium status and the word ¡®organic¡¯ is placed at the bottom of the logo, making it a supporting differentiator rather than its lead message.
Market response
Green & Black¡¯s was launched in 1992 and by 2002 had achieved sales of £4.5m. However, this was only 1% of market share and the brand was struggling
to break into the big time. But sales rose to £30m after Pearlfisher¡¯s work went on shelves at the
end of 2005, and Cadbury Schweppes bought the brand for around £25m. G&B is now the fastest growing confectionery brand in the UK (with annual growth of 61% in a sector growing at 1.8%) and it commands 7.4% market share. There are already biscuits, drinks and ice cream to accompany the chocolate ranges.
Expert analysis
The 2006 Design Effectiveness Awards judged G&B winner in the Brand Identity category for its ¡°spectacular¡± increase in market share. Andrew Woodward, marketing director at John Lewis Partnership, says: ¡°The highly distinctive identity has undoubtedly been central to its phenomenal success in recent years.¡± He added that the effectiveness of the identity was demonstrated by G&B¡¯s decision to feature it prominently in its advertising campaigns. ¡°The use of simple pack shots in advertising underlines how strongly the identity articulates the brand.¡±
GOOD PACK, BAD SALES
Design brief
Turner Duckworth was asked to redesign Mr Kipling¡¯s packs as part of a complete product, brand and packaging overhaul in 2004. The new look focused on the product with up-close shots of the cakes and pies and very little else to distract. The logo was redrawn and the ¡®Exceedingly Good¡¯ catchphrase took centre stage. If the mantra ¡®less is more¡¯ is true, this pack should have worked.
Market response
Mr Kipling was the leading producer of packaged cakes with an 11% share of a £1.2bn market before designs by Turner Duckworth hit the shelves.Shortly after, sales dropped. Bruce Duckworth, creative director of Turner Duckworth, explains: ¡°Mr Kipling consumers did switch off when the packaging changed, but that was part of a brand repositioning, so that they could put the price up and implement some product improvements and put the new products in new packaging. However, the packaging changed, the prices went up, but the product improvements never happened.¡±
Expert analysis
Mr Kipling rebranded again in late 2005, returning to its more traditional pack designs with the help of Vibrandt. It is planning another brand refresh later this year. Simon Preece from Elmwood Design says that the Turner Duckworth-designed packaging let the brand down as much as the unimproved product it contained. ¡°Consumers couldn¡¯t find the pack on-shelf,¡± he says, and if the redesign alienated existing customers, Mr Kipling had a lot to lose. As a critique in Eye magazine in May 2005 said of Mr Kipling¡¯s packs: ¡°There has never been a reliable correlation between design quality and commercial success.¡± |
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Beautypack to represent Cofatech in UK
Jill Park, packagingnews.co.uk, 30 July 2009
French sampling specialist Cofatech has named cosmetics packaging specialist Beautypack as its sole UK agent.
Cofatech manufactures sample-sized sachets including the kangaroo-style Walipack, which allows brands to piggyback additional samples on a single-dose sachet.
"We decided to use Beautypack considering their knowledge of the Beauty market in the UK and their expertise," said Cofatech's Martine Landy. "The brands the company is handling do not compete with the products manufactured by Cofatech."
Beautypack will be targeting UK companies that already use sachets to promote their products within the beauty industry.
BeautyPack's stable of brands include Herman Koch for bottles, jars and sticks, Oekametall for mascara, lipsticks and lip gloss, Eisen for cosmetic sharpeners and polyethylene tube manufacturer Global Tube.
This will not be Cofatech's first entry into the UK market, having previously manufactured triangle-shaped samples for Boots.
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BeautyPack adds tubes to portfolio with Global Tube tie-up
Jill Park, packagingnews.co.uk, 09 April 2009
Cosmetics and toiletries packaging specialist BeautyPack has added tubes to its growing portfolio through its partnership with Italian tube manufacturer Global Tube.
Global Tube, which is based in Tortona just south of Milan, produces polyethylene (PE) tubes on high-speed lines in diameters 19ml to 50ml.
The company can produce decorative finishes in house, including labelling. It also offers soft touch, tamper-evident closures and has recently added co-extrusion tubes to its range.
Global Tube will join BeautyPack's stable of brands that include Herman Koch for bottles, jars and sticks, Oekametall for mascara, lipsticks and lipgloss and Eisen for cosmetic sharpeners.
"We have chosen a small number of high quality partners that can offer the UK market flexibility and the responsiveness from a European manufacturing base," said director Elinor Hill.
"We can cover a packaging spectrum from plastic bottles, jars, sticks, tubes through to make-up packaging." |
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DuPont reports strong European market
Liz Wells, packagingnews.co.uk, 22 April 2008
DuPont, which supplies materials to the packaging sector, has reported an 8% increase in first-quarter sales to $1.7bn (£855m) because of continued strength in Asian and European markets.
The company said improved sales in its performance materials business were partially offset by higher cost of ingredients and costs associated with the manufacturing process.
DuPont reported a 46% increase in pre-tax operating income to $219m in the quarter.
DuPont has also announced the winners of its 20th Packaging Innovation Awards, which aim to recognise achievements that improve sustainability of packaging products and processes.
Among the winners were Kraft Salad Dressings, Marks & Spencer for its biodegradable Swiss chocolate assortment box, and EarthCycle for its organic kiwi package.
Innovia Films, Water Bag-in-Box, Jordans Organic Cereals and PlantLove Lipstick by Cargo Cosmetics also triumphed, as did the AirLessMotion Bag-in-Bottle System and UniPak Eco. |
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Rexam to focus on 'senior friendly' packs at Interpack
Jane Ellis, packagingnews.co.uk, 02 April 2008
Rexam, the beverage can and rigid plastic packaging group, will show its latest products for the personal care, food, healthcare and beverage industries at Interpack later this month.
The firm said it would focus on three major trends influencing the packaging industry: senior friendly, environmentally friendly and on-the-go packs.
Rexam said it would reveal its latest thinking on these topics and invite visitors to its 'Be Inspired' innovation theatre on its stand.
Personal care division managing director Robert Brands said invite-only visitors would be able to view the firm's entire product range.
Rexam produces more than 55 billion beverage cans a year in addition to lipstick cases, dispensing systems for perfumes, drug delivery devices, nasal inhalers and high-barrier plastic tubs, containers and plastic closures for the food industry.
Rexam will be on stand B22/C21 in Hall 10 at the Messe D¨¹sseldorf.
Interpack 2008 runs from 24-30 April. |
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Oekametall focuses on UK with Beautypack tie-up
Jill Park, packagingnews.co.uk, 15 January 2008
German cosmetics packaging manufacturer Oekametall Oehlhorn aims to increase its presence in the UK through a new deal to be represented by cosmetics firm Beautypack.
Oekametall has worked in the UK but felt its lack of presence in the country hindered its ability to serve customers.
Wolfram Leistner, cosmetic packaging sales manager at Oekametall, said the joint venture would "bring together our long-standing experience" in the cosmetics industry.
The firm provides a range of services, from injection-moulding and brush manufacture through to surface treatment, from its facility in Bamberg.
It offers customers a customised design option as well as standard ranges of lipstick, lipgloss and mascara cases.
Beautypack was established at the end of 2007 under director Michael Hill, who has many years of experience in the cosmetics market.
The company started operating in January 2008, and has also established partnerships with German cosmetic packaging manufacturers Hermann Koch and Eisen. |
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Innovation poor in beauty packs
Packaging News, 02 May 2007
Designers of cosmetics packaging lack the courage to innovate, a leading design consultant told delegates at the Cosmopack trade show in Bologna last month.
Thierry De Baschmakoff, chief executive of French design agency Aesthete, cited increasing pressures on lead times as the main reason for this reluctance to invest in the time-consuming innovation process.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion, he said that taking risks, as Dior did with its Addict lipstick pack and applicator, did create successful products.
Vera Strubi, former president of Thierry Mugler Parfums and chair of the event, said innovation was necessary to maintain the inspirational quality of cosmetics packaging.
Representatives from Rexam Dispensing and YSL Beaut¨¦ were among those at the event, entitled ¡°Combining creativity with technical and economical constraints¡±.
The event coincided with the launch of the BeautyFull Club, an international think-tank for the cosmetics packaging industry. |
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A greener gloss
Jill Park, Packaging News, 01 February 2008
The caustic nature of bleach is well known, but few people are aware of the corrosive properties of lipgloss. Choose the wrong material to package your cosmetic product and it may eat the pack from the inside out. Thankfully, many companies will be sharing their materials expertise with visitors at the forthcoming processes and packaging exhibition, Interpack, to be held in D¨¹sseldorf in April.
According to RPC Beaut¨¦¡¯s general manager G¨¦rald Martines, traditionally transparent materials such as acrylic would be damaged by the aggressive formula of lipgloss. The more robust co-polymers, however, have overcome this problem and each year new grades appear on the cosmetics packaging market, leading resin suppliers to search for the ultimate co-polymer: clear as glass, heavy as possible and compatible with cosmetics.
¡°The art is to find within the polymer landscape a material that fits with a particular application,¡± explains Martines. One material the company will show at Interpack is Surlyn, manufactured by DuPont. The resin was originally made for films wrapped around water bottles, but RPC discovered that it can also be moulded into very thick walls.
The company will show the cap from Lancôme¡¯s Hypnôse perfume at Interpack, to illustrate the capabilities of Surlyn. While the see-through resin is compatible with fragrance, it also overcomes the problem of ¡®sink marks¡¯ ¨C sunken areas on the surface that could cause difficulties when sealing the closure.
Resin developments
Alongside the cap, RPC will exhibit its range of Lancôme Fever lipstick packs. In 2006 the plastics packaging specialist collaborated with the cosmetics brand to develop a technique, unique to RPC, which produces a metallic layer, using a type of nickel. The pack incorporates two transparent panels and two metallic sides created by using two different resins; one susceptible to electroplating and one not.
RPC is also exploring bio-based products and materials made from corn-starch. The environment is a key trend driving the cosmetics packaging sector at the moment. However, the reality of making a completely environmentally friendly pack is difficult to achieve. The average lipstick case, for example, uses at least three different components, typically made from a variety of materials.
Creating a recyclable lipstick is a ¡°very difficult technical challenge¡±, explains Martines. Using a single material to create the lipstick mechanism is not as successful as using different materials and the result is often squeaky, less fluid to use and therefore not so readily accepted by the public. Meanwhile, the use of finishes typically used on lipstick packs, such as lacquering, prevents the pack from being recycled.
PLA to PHA
¡°Everybody is now working to find more environmentally friendly solutions,¡± agrees Rexam make-up product manager Pauline Uhlen. ¡°At the moment there¡¯s no supplier of cosmetics packaging that can supply all the solutions.¡±
In 2004, Rexam worked with Brazilian cosmetics brand Natura on a lipstick pack made from wood plastic composite (WPC). The material is produced using 40%-60% waste wood generated from industries such as the furniture trade and, although it is not recyclable, it benefits from a lower plastic content.
Rexam has already investigated polylactic acid (PLA) and discovered problems with the polymer: although PLA is biodegradable it is not heat resistant above 50¡ãC, which could prove to be an issue in the supply chain as the temperature in trucks often rises above this.
The company is now focusing on polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). Trials carried out by Rexam have shown that this material can withstand temperatures above 100¡ãC.
The corn-based material also benefits from being 100% biodegradable and takes between nine and 12 months to biodegrade in soil. Rexam is currently working with a customer to deliver a PHA product to the market in 2008. Looking beyond this, the company intends to investigate the possibilities of using recyclable plastics.
Rexam is yet to finalise its Interpack agenda, but representatives from both the plastics and beverage can businesses will be present at the event.
PET projects
MeadWestvaco director of public relations Alison Von Puschendorf says PET is now suitable for more applications. ¡°We have seen developments in PET films in the past few years and are expecting additional capacity for PET resins, as well as overall improvement in the quality of PET.
¡°For our dispensing range we are developing new membrane systems in order to replace several parts and mechanisms,¡± she adds. These will be made from thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers (TPU) in addition to, or separate from, thermoplastic rubber (TPE).
Consumer packaging companies, including those in the upmarket cosmetics and skincare industry, are constantly looking for ways to reach the environmentally conscious consumer, argues Von Puschendorf. Like many of its rivals, MeadWestvaco offers products made from recycled PET. It also makes clear folding cartons under the name NatureSource and made from NatureWorks PLA.
At Interpack the company will exhibit sustainable packaging materials, including its Printkote Eagle product. This paperboard product is made from 30% post-consumer recycled content, which ¡°offers superior uniformity, purity and printability¡± while also featuring the recycled content that many cosmetics packaging companies are looking for.
Although recycled content has become increasingly important, virgin materials are still popular. Swedish virgin fibre board manufacturer Korsnäs will join the ProCarton creativity section at Interpack. Korsnäs will exhibit Frövi White, a board it launched in spring 2007.
The bleached board offers a high level of whiteness on both sides, aimed at the high-quality print requirements of the luxury cosmetics sector. In comparison, brands that are trying to convey a ¡®green¡¯ image often favour brown board. Annica Alexanderson, business support manager at Korsnäs, confirms that the common perception is that brown, unbleached board is ¡°more environmentally friendly¡±. Yet, the process of bleaching the Frovi White is ¡°as environmentally friendly¡±, she adds.
Fibre communication
French cosmetics brand Couleur Caramel subscribed to this philosophy by adopting unbleached Frövi Light to launch its cosmetics range in 2006. The brand originally launched without any secondary packaging. However, as it became necessary to list ingredients, certificates and barcodes, so Frövi Light brown board was chosen. ¡°The fibres speak their own language and move the target group that responds to this kind of communication,¡± explains founder and co-owner David Reccole.
The cosmetics packaging industry is very similar to the fashion industry in that it is driven by trends, and the environment is the topic du jour. Innovative use of new materials can aid the brands in reaching their goal of a fully environmentally friendly pack, which also retains the aesthetic appeal desired by customers. Many would argue that the move towards environmentally friendly packs is purely a marketing tool, but regardless it has driven development of many new materials.
POST-CONSUMER IN COSMETICS
The Body Shop
The Body Shop has always had a keen interest in environmentally friendly packaging and this extends to its cosmetics ranges. More than five years ago, the retailer collaborated with RPC Thornaby, which closed at the end of 2007, in the UK to patent a mono-material lipstick case.
The pack was made from 100% PP with a twist-up mechanism that functioned in a very different manner to the traditional design, which often comprises up to three or more parts in different materials.
The Body Shop was the first brand to use this design and tooled a special lipstick base and cover to house
the new mechanism.
Following the company¡¯s purchase by L¡¯Or¨¦al in 2006, the make-up was relaunched with up to 63% of the range now using packaging that contains some post-consumer recycled (PCR) material. Included in the range are the fully recyclable Shimmer Waves and Shimmer Cubes.
Aveda
Aveda is another brand that is often cited for its environmental policy. ¡°Aveda was one of the pioneers in the beauty industry in pushing the levels of PCR in its bottles and jars,¡± explains Deane Maune, executive director of Aveda package development. ¡°The colourant added for PET bottles is in a powder form, which enables packaging to achieve 100% PCR.¡±
Nude Skincare
Most recently, Nude Skincare launched in the UK last summer. The brand rejected secondary packaging in favour of printing all its instructions and mandatory information on a biodegradable PLA sleeve. The range was the brainchild of organic food store specialist Fresh & Wild. Pearlfisher, the design agency behind the brand¡¯s packaging, extended the natural feel to the packs by using a plastic with a tactile finish. Up to 50% recycled post-industrial plastic waste is used to make the bottles.FIVE Rs OF GREEN PACKAGING
According to Rexam¡¯s make-up product manager, Pauline Uhlen, there are five Rs to consider when creating an environmentally friendly cosmetics pack.
• Replace with biodegradable corn-based PLA or recycled plastics
• Recycle use mono-materials so the pack can be recycled in its existing form
• Refill make the pack refillable, preventing it from being sent to landfill
• Reduce the number of components or the amount of secondary packaging
• Reuse create a pack that has a dual purpose, giving it a second life |
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World Design: Australis Duet Palette
Packaging News, 04 June 2008
Australis Duet Palette make-up kit has been released in Australia by Creative Brands.
The whole palette is injection-moulded, probably in PP. There are two hinged sections complete with mirrors and applicators for the range of lip gloss, lipstick and eye shadows.
Each element is contained in the standard metal godet. A leaflet detailing the products partners the palette in a litho-printed, tuck-in carton, which is protected at either end with a self-adhesive PP seal. |
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The 2007 Review: February
Packaging News, 01 January 2008
The Competition Commission made a final call for submissions to its grocery market inquiry...
Private equity firm Sun Capital bought plastic packaging manufacturer Autobar Packaging...
Efficient Consumer Response launched guidelines for retail-ready packaging...
Styropack UK announced the closure of its Aberdare plant...
Cargo Cosmetics introduced a PLA lipstick case...
Ardagh Glass said overcapacity in the sector was behind the closure of a furnace in Barnsley...
Datalase announced it was developing a colour laser-imaging system as an alternative to traditional box-printing processes...
Jacob White and 1st Packaging launched a machine to erect and fold PET and PVC cartons...
A fire devastated the factory of logistics packager Daher Aerospace... |
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Cargo picks PLA for lipstick packs in UK
Tess Raine, Packaging News, 01 February 2007
Cargo Cosmetics has introduced a PLA lipstick case (pictured) called PlantLove to UK beauty stores this month.
Cargo said the case, developed over the past two years, was a world first. It plans to pack all its lipsticks in PLA eventually, but is currently only introducing the case with new colour lines.
Four shades of lipstick have been designed by celebrities including Lindsay Lohan and Evangeline Lilly. They have been available at Pout Covent Garden, London, since the start of this month.
Cargo president Hana Zalzal said there were ¡°no issues¡± with using PLA with make-up.
¡°We are looking into other areas to apply PLA to make-up packaging if possible. The only performance issue for PLA in general is that it is best suited to rigid packaging. You cannot make a squeeze tube out of PLA alone.¡±
As well as the colourful PLA lipstick case, Cargo has designed secondary packaging made from biodegradable flower paper; paper infused with seeds, which, when moistened and planted, should grow an array of wild flowers. |
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RPC adds to airless pump range
Packaging News, 01 November 2006
RPC Bramlage-Wiko has added another dispenser to its Magic pump system for airless dispensing of lotions, creams and gels.
The Magic Oval widget comes in three sizes ¨C 50, 100 and 150ml ¨C and is shaped to give ¡°comfortable handling¡± for the consumer and a ¡°wide area for decoration¡± with silk screen, hot stamping or labelled artwork for the brand owner, said the firm.
The pack¡¯s cap can also be hot stamped for additional branding, while a new design would provide consistent dosing and clean application, said sales and marketing director G¨¹nter Pohlmann.
¡°Products in the cosmetics and personal care markets have two fundamental needs: consistency of function and individuality of appearance,¡± he said. ¡°Our latest Magic technology and oval design meet these criteria.¡±
The Oval complements Magic Star and Magic SL dispensing systems. |
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Scan solution in metal tubes
Packaging News, 01 July 2006
Metal tubes that are invisible to the eye, but which can be embedded into product packaging and scanned like bar codes is one of the key benefits that nanotechnology can bring to the food packaging industry.
The metal tubes can be used to provide brand security and supply chain tracking, according to information provided in an awareness pack compiled by the UK Micro and Nanotechnology (MNT) Network.
Nanotechnology can also be used to create more environmentally friendly films to be used in the packaging of meats, cheeses and coffee.
Dr David Parker, technology consultant at the Impact Faraday Partnership said: ¡°Developing the pack brought home to me the wide-ranging beneficial applications of micro and nanotechnology for the food and packaging sector.¡± |
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BeautyPack adds tubes to portfolio with Global Tube tie-up
Jill Park, packagingnews.co.uk, 09 April 2009
Cosmetics and toiletries packaging specialist BeautyPack has added tubes to its growing portfolio through its partnership with Italian tube manufacturer Global Tube.
Global Tube, which is based in Tortona just south of Milan, produces polyethylene (PE) tubes on high-speed lines in diameters 19ml to 50ml.
The company can produce decorative finishes in house, including labelling. It also offers soft touch, tamper-evident closures and has recently added co-extrusion tubes to its range.
Global Tube will join BeautyPack's stable of brands that include Herman Koch for bottles, jars and sticks, Oekametall for mascara, lipsticks and lipgloss and Eisen for cosmetic sharpeners.
"We have chosen a small number of high quality partners that can offer the UK market flexibility and the responsiveness from a European manufacturing base," said director Elinor Hill.
"We can cover a packaging spectrum from plastic bottles, jars, sticks, tubes through to make-up packaging." |
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Primula launches soft cheese range in squeezable tubes
Jill Park, packagingnews.co.uk, 22 April 2009
Squeezy-cheese specialist Primula has moved into the soft cheese market with the launch of a deli range of squeezable flavoured soft cheeses.
The new range includes plain soft cheese, soft cheese flavoured with cracked black pepper and soft cheese with smoked salmon.
Primula, part of the Kavli group, has packed the product in shorter and wider tubes than those used for its core range of squeezable cheese.
A flip-top lid has been introduced to the tubes, instead of the screw top currently used on the squeezable range, but the star-shaped nozzle remains the same across both ranges.
An external agency, which has not been named, was enlisted to design the pack graphics, which have been created to portray "a more deli-style offering".
According to Kavli managing director Craig Brooks, the tube format "keeps the contents fresher for longer, up to 14 days after opening, helping to reduce food waste in the home".
Primula Deli Soft Cheese will be available in stores from April 2009. |
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Butterfly reveals tube dispensing system to reduce waste
Simeon Goldstein, packagingnews.co.uk, 04 March 2009
Butterfly Technology is seeking commercial partners to further develop its "Squeeze with Ease" tube dispensing technology that is designed to reduce product wastage and improve value for money.
Squeeze with Ease is the culmination of two years of work by Sue Bell, a clinical nurse, her husband William, an engineer, and product designer Jonathan Jones.
Bell told Packaging News she "used to get frustrated" that her patients found it difficult to get "every last drop of product" from a tube. Squeeze with Ease has been developed to not only reduce waste, but to be used by those with poor manual dexterity.
The device is inserted in a plastic or laminate tube before it is sealed. It is pushed along the tube, "like a piston", ensuring the entire product is used and a slight suck back action reduces caking of the cap and nozzle.
Bell admitted that adding an extra bit of material would be an increase in packaging, but that the overall environmental impact would be reduced, as it would mean less product wastage.
"If you use the product for longer, over time you use less new packaging and less product is thrown away," she said. "Ideally, we'd also want the Squeeze with Ease component to be made from recycled material."
Bell said Squeeze with Ease would be suitable for a huge range of markets from high value cosmetics to medicine. "In pharmaceuticals alone, our device has the potential to offer millions of pounds worth of savings to the NHS," she said.
Butterfly Technology is based in Kew, Surrey and was set up in 2007, after Bell took a sabbatical to look at developing a devise to improve the dispensing of medical creams.
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Chesapeake opens doors at Scottish composite tube site
Jill Park, packagingnews.co.uk, 05 February 2008
Chesapeake has opened a "one-stop shop" for composite tubes in Scotland to cater for customers in the alcoholic drinks sector.
The company has relocated its composite tube manufacturing facility from Bellshill, near Glasgow, to a new factory in Hamilton, where it has installed the latest technology and provisions for assembly packing.
The move was part of a £2m investment programme supported by Regional Selective Assistance from the Scottish government.
Chesapeake Scotland managing director David Mark said that with Chesapeake's support, the business is in essence "a local service with a global reach".
Meanwhile, Chesapeake's composite tube facility in Bradford, which primarily serves the food and confectionery sectors, has entered into a joint venture with Weidenhammer Packaging.
Weidenhammer, which produces composite tubes, plastic containers and large sized drums, specialises in containers for the food sector and produces more than 950 million tubes per year across 11 European locations.
Chesapeake's Bradford business will retain tube manufacturing at its site and will expand its product range with support from Weidenhammer.
Chesapeake has 45 operations across Europe, North America, Africa and Asia, and employs around 5,500 people worldwide. |
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Media outcry as Sherbet Fountain drops paper for plastic
Simeon Goldstein, packagingnews.co.uk, 28 April 2009
Children's favourite Sherbet Fountain is ditching its iconic paper packaging in favour of a resealable plastic tube, sparking outrage in the national media.
Tangerine Confectionery said that the revamp of the paper packaging for the sweet - which is famous for its stick of liquorice - aimed to make the pack appeal to new generations.
A tamper-proof re-sealable tube will make sure the product stays fresher for longer and stop the sherbet escaping, Tangerine said in a statement this morning. "A modernised design on the packaging will be instantly recognisable to loyal customers."
The firm said that the old pack "has given us excellent service" and said the new packaging had been launched after extensive customer research. It added it was "delighted" that fans were so fond of the product.
National newspapers, however, reacted with outrage at the launch of the packs, with headlines including the Daily Express's 'Anger fizzes up over new sherbet tube' and the Daily Mail's 'Killjoys take the fun out of the Sherbet Fountain to make it more 'hygienic''.
Tangerine added that the recipe has been updated to use natural flavours and colours, but retained the same taste. It did not reveal, however, the maker of the new packaging. |
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