PACKAGING WRAP
Some brands have been replacing plastic wrap and Cellophane with more environmentally-friendly alternatives. But is this the correct route to head down? Alessandro Carrara explores
GIFT WRAP CUTBACK
THE BIG O
ne of the most memorable scenes from 2003’s British rom-com Love Actually sees actor Rowan Atkinson play a department store employee over-
packing a tiny gift. His character wraps the item with layer upon layer of giftwrap, stacking boxes and potpourri, tying it all up with a bow in a bid to make the gift seem as luxurious as possible. But what was humorous then now feels like a horror in 2023, as the beauty industry (albeit on a less comical level) still leans towards excess when it comes to packaging in the luxury sector. The British Beauty Council has stated that packaging is one of the biggest sustainability challenges facing the beauty industry. Just 14% of packaging makes it to recycling plants, with only 9% actually being recycled, according to its research. The rest heads directly to landfill. Yet businesses across the globe are still working to reduce their impact on the planet, and in the beauty world this has seen brands scale back the use of both Cellophane and plastic wrap. At the same time, beauty businesses are still having to weigh up removing such materials with the need for protection and gifting. As such, a number have switched out plastic wrap and Cellophane for more environmentally-friendly materials. But is it sensible for beauty brands to invest in the variety of alternatives available on the
30 January 2023
market, or is it time for them to properly ditch the excess and rethink product packaging as a whole?
TREND SETTING Cellophane – a name for cellulose wrap that is trademarked in some countries, but also used globally as a generic term – is not a plastic despite its appearance, and is instead made from biomaterials such as wood, cotton and hemp. While it does not carry the same notoriety as plastic, Cellophane can still leave an impact on the environment.
If not composted properly, cellulose can generate global warming gasses, such as methane. This has led many companies to outright remove the material from their product ranges over the past few years.
Dior removed Cellophane (together with cardboard wedges) from all of its products in 2020, and professional skin care brand Germaine de Capuccini ditched the material entirely a year earlier.
Luxury giant L’Occitane, meanwhile, made a pledge to remove all unnecessary Cellophane from its product lines by 2022. Patricia Montésinos, who works on the beauty company’s corporate communication, says this was a goal it managed to achieve last year, with only some older versions of its stock still using the material. In areas where the
cosmeticsbusiness.com
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