Luxury packaging needs to be more than just

Luxury packaging needs to be more than just ‘skin deep’

By Simply Cartons

he Clean Beauty movement is growing and today’s modern consumers are becoming more and more conscious of the ingredients they put on their skin. But while users of beauty and skincare products want to remove ingredients they feel may have a negative impact on the environment, they are also increasingly aware of the packaging the product arrives in.

The landscape of packaging is therefore changing. Sustainability is objective number 1 and with the beauty industry set to grow to $131 billion by 2025, brands and ultimately consumers alike are leading the fight to ‘go green’ by questioning: • Origins of materials – are they ethically sourced? • Supply chains – what’s the carbon footprint? • Recyclability – what is life after use? • Reductions – does this serve a purpose/is it necessary? • Re-use – can the packaging fulfil other usages?

This school of thought combined with the introduction of new laws and government targets intending to abolish single-use plastics by 2040 and aiming for 100% recycled packaging by 2025, is initiating innovation within beauty packaging at a substantial rate. Nottingham-based packaging company Simply Cartons is committed to such sustainability. Head of Luxury Sales and Marketing Emily Bartlett says: “Every customer we talk to now is asking the same questions about sustainability. They want to choose a packaging partner, who is aligned with their values and principles.

They want a more holistic engagement with their partner, it’s important to them that we have the right green credentials and the experience to help them achieve their goals and objectives.”

“The process is collaborative - what do we need to achieve and how can we achieve it. Drawing on our experience to ensure that one objective does not counteract the other when developing beautiful packaging inside and out.”

“There must be synergy between aesthetics and sustainability for this to be a success.”

In keeping with their sustainability ethos, Simply Cartons has recently launched EnviraMet, an ecofriendly foil produced in-house, which is fully recyclable and used in multiple applications to elevate branding and aesthetic design.

“For packs to be sustainable they don’t have to be colourless, they don’t have to be lifeless. You can still achieve beauty whilst being

able to recycle” says Emily. “Instead of compromising on appearance, we are bringing in more sustainable products that are being sourced ethically and reducing our energy consumption during the production processes by using smarter technology.”

Investing in a greener future Smarter technologies are enabling greener production in manufacturing and Simply Cartons has made significant investment in the latest equipment and production facilities to reduce energy consumption.

Just a small part of this was a £500,000 investment in solar technology across its sites which has to date, saved the equivalent of over 5,000 trees.

Simply Cartons Chief Executive Craig Mather explains: “To some, investment of this level on anything other than capital equipment to produce packaging may seem like an odd choice, but when we as a company are focussing our efforts on reducing our carbon footprint and achieving our environmental objectives, it was an easy decision. Each month I look forward to seeing the figures of what we’ve managed to save through the solar panels and every time it feels like a positive step in the right direction.” The company has also carried out extensive research into the costs/ benefits of working with virgin materials vs. recycled materials. In some instances, carton board from managed sustainable forests has a higher yield of product, meaning less material is required to achieve the same performance properties in its cartons than a recycled substrate for instance. Consideration must also be given to the energy required to prepare recycled products into fresh substrates ready for converters to work with.

“It’s about striking a balance,” adds Craig. “Working out where different materials can be used, based on the requirements of the pack. Structurally, a virgin material may offer greater support, whereas today there are some really great substrates with a % of recycled pulp which can provide a bright white finish, equally as good from a print finish perspective.”

“We use the greenest raw materials and foster sustainable practices within our supply chains to ensure that our packaging footprint is controlled.”

Simply Cartons’ environmentally friendly approach encompasses materials, transport, energy consumption, greener processes, facilities and equipment used. The company buys much of its virgin materials from a board mill, just 200 miles from its factory site. Many of the mills used for board manufacturing within packaging are in mainland Europe and the US. By opting for a locally produced material, Simply is actively reducing its CO2 footprint.

The mill has recently been awarded the Platinum level by EcoVadis who rate companies in terms of their sustainability achievements. One of the biggest factors contributing to this is the closed-loop cycle of inbound and outbound materials in the manufacturing of its flagship products. It also has its own biomass energy plant which is almost completely non-fossil and supplies green energy back to the grid. It’s this kind of detail that matters to customers. It’s being genuinely green and not greenwashing. Transparency in a world of sales

pitches and marketing campaigns is something to be proud of.

It’s not just what’s inside the box, it’s what’s inside the packaging. Teaching the next generation that beauty is more than skin deep and that what goes into the packaging is what makes it truly beautiful.

Top left image: Clinique. Bottom left image: Beauty box. Top right image: Tisserand Right image: Elle.

For more information please contact: Phil Marklew Sales Director

p.marklew@simplycartons.co.uk