Is Refillable Beauty Packaging Really Better for the Planet?

What Happens to Beauty Packaging After We Use It?

The cosmetic industry has experienced rapid growth over the last decade. According to a recent study, the global market value reached $341.1 billion in 2020. However, beauty packaging has become one of the largest contributors to the 6.9 billion tons of plastic waste produced worldwide since 2015. The industry creates 120 billion units of packaging per year, much of which is not recycled and usually ends up in landfills. Why is cosmetic packaging difficult to recycle?

There are difficulties in recycling mixed-material packaging or small containers, which a lot of beauty products are packaged in. In a research paper from 2004, the authors argued that small packages can be difficult to recycle because of poor consumer habits. Most people discard smaller containers with other types of materials or trash because of the convenience and lack of consideration for the impact of smaller products. However, mixing different types of plastic can contaminate the recycling stream. Not all recycling facilities have the facilities for processing all types of plastic and, as a result, products can end up in landfills. With the cosmetic industry’s reliance on single use plastic and growth of beauty product trends, more and more products are disposed of incorrectly or end up in landfills.

How Sustainable are Refill Systems?

Refill systems for beauty products can shift consumer behaviour. Instead of constantly buying products with single-use plastic packaging, consumers can reuse the product’s container and refills. According to The Sustainability Award, refill systems can reduce pollution caused by packaging and reduce carbon emissions associated with manufacturing and transport.

With in-store refills, consumers can directly refill their containers in the store. However, it is important that the container is properly sanitised to avoid cross-contamination for other consumers. Some brands provide at-home refills, in which the product comes with refill pouches or bottles. Although some of these refills are plastic-free, some refills may still contain small amounts of plastic.

Material Use, Transportation, Cleaning and Life Cycle Assessments

Choosing refill containers based on their materials does matter. While some can be used multiple times, some refill systems contain plastic or other chemicals that are still harmful. In a recent study, packaging reusability was thought to be more important than reducing the amount of materials to make a refill system. This could be because consumers might be more motivated to buy a refill package they can reuse more. Reusability had a 171% improvement in refill systems when compared to reducing the materials. This study also found that refill systems that removed their aluminium component resulted in a 74% reduction of impacts. This study suggests that it could be better to buy products where the refill packaging is highly reusable and avoid packaging that contains aluminium over other materials.

In a recent review on economics, it was found that the key factors that affect the economics and environmental impacts of reusable packaging are transport distances and product damage. Longer transport distances in global supply chains might make refill systems more expensive; however, this can still result in cost savings for consumers over single-use plastic purchases. However, it may take a few purchases before the consumer saves money.

Similarly, it will take many refill uses before the refill systems make a difference to single-use plastic packaging. In one experiment, reusable plastic cups made a difference, compared to single-use cups, after more than 150 uses. For refill packaging to be environmentally friendly, the packaging must be fit for long-term use and be highly reusable.

Three Brands With Different Refill Systems

Emma Lewisham products are PETA and Corporate B certified. The products are cruelty-free, with their refillable packaging reducing carbon by up to 74%. In 2021, the brand became the first skincare brand to offer globally refillable, climate-positive certified skincare. The packaging is made from 100% recycled plastic and glass, and when you purchase refills, the outer packaging vessels aren’t included, reducing their carbon footprint.

Mircea is a vegan skincare brand based in France, where all its packaging is made from glass and its refills are sold in cartons. Mircea uses zero single-use plastic. Unlike Emma Lewisham, this brand only includes the ingredients in its refills, not the actual product. The customer is free to add the water themselves, without wasting any excess product. Since water makes up 85% of conventional formulations, Mircea reduces the environmental impact of transportation.

The Body Shop has refill stations in over 790 stores worldwide. In the refill stations, customers can take an aluminium bottle and ask staff to refill the product. Customers can return again with the same (washed) bottle for new refills. Although this refill method requires more effort from the consumer, in-store refill systems allow customers to choose a range of products to refill and, similar to Mircea, to use the same container without additional packaging or plastic.