An Essential Requirement for Cosmetic 'Green Packaging' in the Era of Environmentalism

Introduction of New Materials to Overcome 'Difficulties in Recycling'... Emergence of Specialized Eco-Friendly Packaging Companies

Current Status of Eco-Friendly Cosmetic Packaging Development

[CMN Reporter Shin Dae-wook] Currently, only about 10% of cosmetic containers being sold are recyclable. Starting from next year, it will be mandatory to label the recycling grade of cosmetic containers. Initially, the labeling of recycling grades for cosmetic containers was postponed until 2025, but due to backlash from environmental groups, the postponement was retracted.

The cosmetic industry is now faced with the task of satisfying not only global environmental regulations but also consumers whose environmental awareness has increased. Environmental regulations are focused on reducing plastic usage, promoting recycling or reuse, and shifting towards materials that are 100% biodegradable.

Last year, over 120,000 cosmetic products were produced domestically. Among them, over 100,000 are difficult to recycle, and even if they are recyclable, it is not easy to separate them due to the remaining contents. According to an analysis by the Ministry of Environment based on data from the Korea Environment Corporation, more than 64% of the 7,983 domestically distributed or imported cosmetics products (as of April 15) received a 'difficulty in recycling' rating. In addition, among the 6,617 cosmetic containers collected nationwide during the 'Cosmetic Attack' campaign led by 'Cosmetic Attack Civic Action' in February, 81.3% were rated as 'difficult to recycle'. Among the products of four domestic major companies, the proportion of recyclable ones was only 13.7%.

The concern of the cosmetics industry is focused on the 'difficulty in recycling'. Fundamentally, they use complex materials to prevent content deterioration and have a large amount of plastic usage.

In this atmosphere, eco-friendly packages that reduce plastic usage or replace plastic materials with various alternatives are gaining attention. Cases of switching to easily recyclable materials or promoting refills and reuse of containers are also increasing.

PCR (recycled) and paper materials utilizing waste resources are being highlighted, and biomass-based materials that can be recycled from natural resources to their waste are also emerging. Along with this, bio-polymer materials that are 100% biodegradable are also being applied.

Above all, cosmetic manufacturing companies or packaging specialist companies are actively developing containers with eco-friendly materials, attracting attention. These companies are focusing on the development of packages with eco-friendly new materials through collaboration with eco-friendly material specialist companies or through independent development.

ODM companies are developing eco-friendly containers through collaboration, actively introducing alternative materials to plastics.

Kolmar Korea has developed a paper tube that can replace plastic tubes. It is an eco-friendly container that replaces all parts with paper except for the cap that uses plastic unavoidably. The company stated that by replacing it with paper, they can reduce plastic usage by 80% compared to before. The fully used paper tube is easy to tear along the cut line to easily use the remaining cosmetics and is also easy to separate for recycling.

Kolmar Korea's paper tube package has been highly praised, winning the top three global design awards including the IDEA 2021 in the United States, as well as the IF Design Award and the Red Dot Award in Germany.

Cosmax is actively involved in developing eco-friendly containers through collaboration with specialized companies. Recently, Cosmax signed a business agreement with SK Chemicals, Woori Tech, and Recipe related to the development of eco-friendly cosmetic containers using 'EcoTreia', a recycled plastic material developed by SK Chemicals. Under this agreement, SK Chemicals will supply EcoTreia material, and Woori Tech will produce transparent cosmetic containers using it. Recipe plans to develop cosmetics using containers made from EcoTreia material in collaboration with Cosmax.

EcoTreia, developed by SK Chemicals, is a highly transparent copolyester produced by mixing recycled PET raw materials (PCR). This material has obtained global recycling standard (GRS) certification through the global environmental certification agency Control Union. Cosmax has also started developing easy-to-recycle cosmetic packages in collaboration with Inner Bottle, a manufacturer of eco-friendly containers.

Cosmeka Korea has also signed a business agreement with eco-friendly packaging companies and is moving forward with the development of eco-friendly containers. The company recently announced its plans to develop high-performance cosmetic containers made of completely decomposable high-heat-resistant biodegradable materials in collaboration with Eco Packaging Solution, an eco-friendly packaging material company. Through this, they plan to develop high-functioning cosmetic containers using PLA (eco-friendly resin made from corn and sugarcane raw materials).

Eco Packaging Solution is a subsidiary of a mineral water specialist company, and it is developing eco-friendly packaging materials. Last year, it successfully developed a PLA material water bottle that is 100% biodegradable, including the container, label, and cap. The two companies plan to develop high-functioning eco-friendly containers through technological exchange, focusing on aesthetics, compatibility with contents, stability, and high heat resistance.

Cosmeka Korea also signed a development agreement for eco-friendly plastic packaging with Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), a global petrochemical company and Saudi Arabian state-owned enterprise, last August.

Through this agreement, Cosmeka Korea plans to develop new eco-friendly cosmetic containers by combining its expertise in cosmetic packaging development with SABIC's PCR specialized technology.

Container specialist companies focus on developing new materials

Focused on recycling, reuse, and biodegradability

Cosmetic container manufacturing companies are also actively pursuing the development of packages using eco-friendly materials. Yanwoo has developed eco-friendly pumps by replacing metal springs in pumps with plastic of the same material as the body.

This technology is called 'One Material,' which allows for the entire pump to be recyclable even when discarded. The number of parts in the pump has been reduced from a maximum of 14 to 9. This technology received the Minister of Industry, Trade and Resources Award at the 15th Korea Packaging Exhibition held in May last year.

In addition, they have developed eco-friendly refill products (Tension Body) that can be dispensed without buttons and external products (Paper Point Neck) with paper, both of which received high praise at the packaging exhibition.

Yanwoo previously developed a pump container using eco-friendly materials (POK-POM free) last year. This product is characterized by the use of eco-friendly POK materials instead of conventional POM materials. POK material is an eco-friendly polymer material with no detection of harmful substances such as formaldehyde and carbon reduction effects.

CTK Cosmetics has developed an eco-friendly container called the 'Springless Pump', which eliminates the metal spring that has been difficult to separate for recycling. The Springless Pump has excellent recyclability without the need for separate disposal, and the company explains that it possesses a competitive advantage in terms of unit cost, surpassing conventional pumps by over 20%.

In addition, they have developed eco-friendly packaging such as the 'Eco Pact', which allows for refill and 100% recyclability with just one touch, and the 'Bart's Up Stick', which ensures complete usage of the contents.

Permtech Korea also developed the Metal-less Pump, an eco-friendly pump without metal springs, in 2018 and applied for a patent. The Metal-less Pump not only eliminates the use of POM, which detects formaldehyde, but also excludes metal springs, making recycling easier. Additionally, they have developed an eco-friendly paper-based material called the 'Eco Tube'.

Permtech Korea has been actively engaged in the development of eco-friendly packaging, along with ESG management, and this effort has led to achieving the 'Gold Grade' awarded to the top 5% of companies by EcoVadis, a global sustainability assessment firm.

Another example is the development of the Eco Green Pump, an eco-friendly pump made from a single material, polypropylene, instead of various materials such as metal or rubber, commonly used in conventional pumps. It is made entirely from a single material, ensuring excellent recyclability, and is designed to be applicable to a wide range of capacities, from small to large.

Jung Min has been using PCR material, recycled from plastic containers collected after use, since the first half of last year and plans to actively introduce bio-based eco-friendly packaging materials.

The flagship product, Two-tone Blow, is also attracting attention for its eco-friendly container. It is explained that resource recycling is easy as it can implement brand or product names as text-based patterns without separate printing.

Elufac has developed a Pact container that is easy to recycle by integrating double injection, a case, a fixed ring, and a bottom case. Elufac has also won the Minister of Industry and Commerce Award at the 13th Future Packaging Technology Government Awards with this technology. The advantage of this container is that the glass can be easily separated and it is produced as a single material, making it easy to separate and dispose of. In addition, they plan to develop containers applying non-metal springs and eco-friendly materials such as PLM and PCR in line with recent eco-friendly trends.

Taeshin Infac has successfully developed 100% recyclable eco-friendly paper cushioning material. By replacing the plastic base, mainly used in the past, with paper, they have not only elevated the quality of cosmetic sets but also made them recyclable.

Olive is applying PCR materials to specialized Heavy Blow containers. They are using carefully selected PCR materials that have obtained REACH certification for production of Heavy Blow containers.

SK Chemicals, a specialized material company, is presenting sustainable packaging solutions. One of the representative materials is 'EcoTree CR', which applies chemical recycling technology.

The chemical recycling technology applied to this material decomposes plastic into a pure raw material state to manufacture polymers without deteriorating the quality of plastic products, making it possible to repeatedly recycle without compromising quality.

SK Chemicals has also developed eco-friendly packaging materials such as 'EcoTree R', which uses recycled PET raw materials (PCR), and 'EcoGen Claro', which uses biomass materials.

Specialized eco-friendly packaging companies are gaining attention in the cosmetics industry innovation trend.

Riding the strong wind of environmental friendliness, specialized eco-friendly packaging companies and eco-friendly packaging material development companies are emerging diversely, attracting attention in the industry. Some examples are InnoBottle, REVATION, and Green Whale Global.

InnoBottle has developed an eco-friendly packaging technology that puts a balloon-shaped silicone balloon inside the cosmetic pump. Unlike conventional pump containers, the high elasticity silicone balloon allows all contents to be used, increasing the recycling rate. Recognizing such technological prowess, they signed a £250 million export contract with a British cosmetics company last year and recently received a £200 million investment from LG Chem.

Libeishon, a specialized eco-friendly packaging startup established in April, emphasizes its status as a solution company that provides one-stop services from developing eco-friendly material-based packages to branding, design, and production. They have a separate design studio and package material development research center and have secured a production factory, establishing a system capable of producing a variety of products in small quantities.

Above all, they differentiated themselves in technology to develop eco-friendly materials and turn them into packages.

They developed Paper Mold, a material that replaces plastic packages with paper, and developed Coffee Chips using coffee grounds and Eco Chips using waste materials. In particular, they have secured R&D for paper mold printing, coffee chip molding, and eco chip molding and processing with proprietary technology. Additionally, they are using 100% biodegradable bio-polymer material, SullaPac, and eco-friendly pouch fabric, Eco45.

Green Whale Global has developed a bio-plastic technology that uses environmentally friendly raw materials such as cassava and corn, which are 100% biodegradable. The bio-plastic material developed by Green Whale Global combines materials that are free from environmental hormones, heavy metals, etc., and are 100% biodegradable, enabling composting. The company has partnered with IS Cosmetics last year and started supplying materials for developing eco-friendly cosmetic containers.

https://www.cmn.co.kr/sub/news/news_view.asp?news_idx=37149