LVMH Beauty Teamed up with Origin Materials Inc. For Sustainable Packaging
- Chaileedo Press
- Apr 22, 2022
- 4 min read
LVMH Beauty has inked a multiyear capacity reservation agreement to buy sustainable, carbon-negative materials for fragrance and cosmetics packaging from Origin Materials Inc. The frequent introduction of eco-friendly packaging in recent years, not only by LVMH but also by major beauty groups, means that green packaging is increasingly being taken seriously by cosmetics brands.
LVMH Beauty, a division of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, has signed a multi-year strategic partnership with Origin Materials, Inc., the world's leading carbon-negative materials company.
The deal will see LVMH Beauty purchasing sustainable, carbon-negative PET (polyethylene terephthalate) materials from Origin Materials for its fragrance and cosmetics packaging.
PET produced using Origin technology is functionally identical to petroleum-based PET, but with a dramatically lower carbon footprint as it is made from sustainable wood residues which capture carbon.
Claude Martinez, executive president and managing director at LVMH Beauty, said in a statement: "Origin's bioplastic technologies are playing a crucial role in helping LVMH achieve our sustainability targets without any compromise on quality. LVMH Beauty is happy to collaborate with Origin, supporting innovative technologies."
Origin will work with LVMH Beauty on sustainable packaging solutions across its brands, including Parfums Christian Dior, Parfums Givenchy, and Guerlain.
Rich Riley, co-chief executive of Origin Materials, added: "LVMH is a powerhouse of luxury brands, with a high standard of excellence for the environmental performance of its products.
"Our mission of enabling the world's transition to sustainable materials as fast as possible is completely aligned with LVMH's ambitious environmental initiatives. We look forward to helping LVMH reduce its carbon footprint and achieve its sustainability goals while continuing to deliver superior product experiences to its customers."
The frequent introduction of eco-friendly packaging in recent years, not only by LVMH but also by major beauty groups, means that green packaging is increasingly being taken seriously by cosmetics brands.
Last year, Estée Lauder announced that it had joined the partnership alliance with sustainable packaging technology company Pulpex, making it the first high-end beauty company in the alliance. Estée Lauder Group will help promote the upgrade of Pulpex's pioneering paper bottle technology to contribute to the enhancement of sustainable packaging solutions in the beauty industry.
L'Oréal Group stated the launch of the first cosmetic bottle made entirely from recyclable plastic, made possible by biotech company Carbio's enzyme technology, scheduled to go into production in 2025, with its brand Biotherm being the first to use this packaging.
Another paper-based cosmetic tube packaging developed by L'Oréal Group in collaboration with beauty packaging supplier Albéa would be used for the first time in the products of L'Oréal Group's cosmeceutical brand La Roche Posay.
The paper packaging contains 45% less plastic than ordinary cosmetic packaging, and the cardboard used is FSC certified. A L'Oréal spokesperson further emphasized that this was not the only application of paper-based cosmetic tubular packaging and that it will be applied to more of the L'Oréal Group's brands in the future.
To solve the problem of plastic and glass packaging materials that are difficult to degrade and pollute the environment, major cosmetic brands have embarked on the recycling of empty bottles and the application of environmentally friendly materials.
Kiehl's and Lancôme have teamed up with TerraCycle to launch the "Empty Bottle Recycling" program. Chinese chain shopping mall Intime Department has also teamed up with Zhangyu Recycling to launch the "Empty Bottle Recycling Program" for cosmetics. Empty bottle recycling can not only prevent unscrupulous businesses from using empty bottles for secondary profit but also establish the brand's environmental image in consumers' minds.
Public information shows that P&G has committed to reducing fresh plastic packaging by 50% by 2030. Unilever has committed to reducing the absolute use of plastic packaging by more than 100,000 tons by 2025 and accelerating the use of renewable plastic, thereby halving the use of new plastic. In 2018, L'Oreal developed a "100% eco-friendly product packaging by 2020" sustainability commitment, and the promotion and application of paper-based packaging is an important part of it.
Ye A’min, general manager of the international business unit of Bai Xing Long Enterprise, said that one of the trends in cosmetic packaging is environmental sustainability and packaging should be both culturally rich and environmentally sustainable.
The cosmetic giants are already taking action, but whether it's empty bottle recycling or research on environmentally friendly materials, there are application levels that are difficult to practice.
Take glass bottle recycling, for example, the environmental benefits of glass bottle recycling are obvious. Even so, China's glass bottle recycling rate is much lower than that of developed countries due to technical factors.
"The most difficult thing is still the establishment of the entire recycling system." the chairman and general manager of 3 Star Glass Limited Company said. On the one hand, domestic recycling habits have not yet formed, and the front-end waste classification system is not perfect to increase the difficulty of post-processing. On the other hand, due to the late start of Chinese recycling, the overall recycling technology is still relatively backward, resulting in the high cost of recycling.
Some industry insiders also believe that even when costs can be cut down, the selection of cosmetic packaging materials needs to undergo rigorous testing of multiple indicators such as light-blocking, compatibility, and hardness. This means that not all environmentally friendly materials are suitable for application in the field of cosmetics, which undoubtedly increases the threshold for the application of environmentally friendly materials in the field of cosmetics.
It is worth mentioning that some Chinese brands have taken on this role, such as CHANDO, which has gradually implemented sustainable development strategies, including clean production, energy conservation, and emission reduction. It also launched the public welfare for bottle packaging some years ago.
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