As the world expands and the population increases, many of the natural resources on the planet are damaged or depleted in the process. The growth in the worldwide economy further contributes to the damage that is being dealt to natural resources. This is why there is an increasing demand to move toward a more environmentally-friendly manufacturing process while also delivering eco-friendly products to the consumer, which focuses on sustainability.
It is not only the products used by consumers that should be addressed but also the packaging used for these items. This is an area where eco-friendly body lotion bottles become a useful alternative to standard solutions used by major brands. Ecofriendly packaging offers an advantage of glass jars or glass bottles and similar products that are often used as packaging options for lotions, shampoo bottles and similar beauty products
What Does Eco-Friendly And Sustainable Packaging Really Mean?
Reduce, reuse, recycle (1). These are the standard terms that generally come to mind when thinking about a move to a greener planet. It is something that companies tend to bring up when they want to adopt a more environmentally-friendly approach to providing sustainable features in their packaging solutions.
Lotions often tend to take advantage of plastic bottles. These personal care plastic packaging solutions provide a more affordable way of giving clients access to lotion containers. It also helps to provide a more affordable product to the consumer. Unfortunately, it does not contribute to a greener planet – or a reduction in the damage that we are doing to natural resources.
Many companies also think that providing a recyclable package with their lotion would add them to the list of clean beauty brands. Unfortunately, the real meaning behind environmentally friendly production is often overlooked. Without making certain environmental commitments, there are no guarantees that a care products company is truly on the way to green packaging.
There are specific criteria that would qualify a packaging solution for being sustainable and eco-friendly, reducing overall environmental impact. These tend to include:
- The packaging materials for the lotion bottle needs to be beneficial and safe – for both the individual and the environment.
- The packaging solution should also be healthy for the individual and not cause harm in any way.
- Specific market criteria for both cost and performance need to be met.
- Renewable energy needs to be used in the process of sourcing materials, manufacturing the product, transporting the item, and recycling the materials.
- Renewable and recycled materials need to be used in the production of the lotion bottles.
- Clean production technologies must be used in the manufacturing process of the bottles.
- Materials should also remain, as specified, "healthy" throughout its entire life cycle. This means materials may not start to produce harmful toxins during their life cycle.
- The physical design of the lotion bottle needs to be optimized appropriately.
Only when these specific criteria are met can beauty brands truly promote their packaging solutions as being clean. The same criteria apply to other products and not only eco-friendly lotion bottles. This would include hand soaps, body wash, and more.
The Benefits Of Moving To Eco-Friendly Packaging Innovations
Beauty brands who decide to move toward a more eco-friendly solution when packaging lotion into bottles have several advantages they can gain in the process.
One of the most important benefits would be the reduction in the impact the brand makes on the environment. Beauty brands who utilized both a manufacturing process and a packaging solution that focuses on being environmentally-friendly, help to preserve the natural resources on the planet – which are limited in supply, after all. The zero-waste movement also helps to reduce waste materials from piling up on the planet – filled with materials that are toxic to the environment.
Ultimately, the carbon footprint of the beauty brand would be significantly reduced through the implementation of appropriate strategies.
Additional benefits may be experienced in this process too. The brand would be able to show their customer that they care about the environment. In the modern world, there is an increasing need for brands that are able to produce more environmentally-friendly products. The need applies to many skincare products – ranging even toward the smaller items like lip balm.
With this in mind, companies producing lotions can gain an advantage over competitors who have not yet made a movement toward being a “green” brand.
There is also a reduction in exposure to certain chemicals and particles when switching to eco-friendly lotion bottles. Cosmetic containers are often filled with toxic materials. There are also allergens that should be taken into consideration here. These all have adverse health effects on the consumer who buys the product. In the modern-day, there is more information available to help consumers educate themselves. People are getting smart – they understand how these allergens and toxins are affecting them.
Recyclable materials do not always lead to a higher cost too. This is something that many beauty brands tend to overlook. Apart from the benefits of using recyclable plastic, for example, the cost of producing lotion bottles that are eco-friendly may be lower than many companies tend to think.
Even when special features are required, such as a pump sprayer, the production of lotion bottles made from eco-friendly and sustainable materials can be an appropriate solution for companies to keep current profits, while gaining an advantage over competitors.
All companies in the beauty and skincare industry are also able to benefit. This includes those who focus on wholesale cosmetics instead of selling directly to the consumer. The adoption of eco-friendly lotion bottles can be a marketing advantage in both B2C and B2B opportunities.
A custom solution can also be utilized, where specific eco-friendly materials are used to produce lotion bottles that match the brand image that the company is trying to uphold.
Conclusion
The movement to cosmetic containers, including skincare products like lotions, to more environmentally-friendly materials, is an important step in reaching improvements in sustainability. Whether a company recycles glass or another type of material through the use of its packaging solutions, this helps to reduce the footprint that both the manufacturing process and the skincare packaging has on natural resources. Understanding what the difference, however, is crucial to ensure a company can do its part in the move toward sustainable beauty product bottles.
At APG, we are passionate about engineering and designing the right packaging solutions for your products to give you an edge in the competitive cosmetics marketplace. Contact us at (626) 385-5858 or email us at Sales@apackaginggroup.com and we would be glad to discuss solutions for your products.
(1) https://kids.niehs.nih.gov/topics/reduce/index.htm