When choosing plastic packaging material, you must not go wrong by paying closer attention to the details. It was not very too long ago when the beauty industry jumped on the polyethylene bandwagon along with other industries. This type of material had become the primary choice for boxing items mainly because it was flexible, inexpensive, and lightweight. Over time, the plastic packing footprint has ballooned. The boxing in the beauty industry that is entirely plastic-based reflects about 25 billion dollars in sales. So, eliminating or reducing this process entirely is a significant challenge.
Plastic is firmly entrenched in modern business supply chains so limiting its omnipresence will be a painful process. The Beauty Sourcing marketplace has gathered a variety of polypropylene packaging for the beauty industry.
Choosing suitable boxing materials can be very difficult. Here are some essential aspects that can be helpful for beauty brands and customers when choosing the right thing to do when it comes to this process.
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Remember, the best packaging is no packaging
Before diving deep into the river of options, remember that the best packaging is no packaging at all.
Source: greenqueen.com.hk
Avoid single-use plastic packaging
Single-use polyethylene containers are the primary source of pollution on our beloved planet. Single-use plastic is the primary source of profit for the polypropylene industry accounting for more than 40% of the total of this material worldwide.
Instead of doing this, you should opt for items that are going to be more biodegradable, or you should choose only types of this material that have been approved. On the same note, even if you opt for this material for the process, you need to properly select it, and discard it in the right place. When purchasing your goods, make sure you are aware of which are the recycling bins, and that you don’t throw these items in the same containers as all the other trash.
Biodegradable plastic packaging
Biodegradable polyethylene containers are better than single-use plastic but are also not a good option. Biodegradable polypropylene packaging has its own set of environmental hazards.
A container stating ‘biodegradable’ does not qualify the required timeline, conditions, safety of elements, and the degree of degradation.
When purchasing your cover items, make sure you understand what the label says, and if you cannot find enough information about its decomposition process, then you should steer away from these items.
Reputable companies are going to add all the necessary information to the box, and you should also be able to find this information on their websites. If you cannot do this, then you can reach out to the brand, and you can ask for more information as a customer.
Make sure you understand the letters and numbers next to the type of plastic that is used to create the cover and know which types are recyclable, which are biodegradable, and what is the difference between them.
Source: packaginginsights.com
Choose recyclable plastics #1 and #2
It is better to check the details on the containers and choose recyclable plastic parcels such as #1 and #2.
Polypropylene Plastic (PP) is 100% recyclable. It is considered a famous option for tubes and cosmetics containers. Sustainable beauty surrounds healthy and eco-friendly packaging with natural formulations.
Moreover, Density Polyethylene is the best type of this material used for containers for beauty and skin care products. It is used to make different kinds of containers and bottles. It is reusable several times. It keeps cosmetics products protected and hygienic.
As we previously mentioned, the containers are supposed to have this information on them, so before choosing to purchase one product or the other, check to see if you would be able to recycle the box it came in, or if you would need to wonder how many decades it is going to need to even start decomposing.
As customers, if we try and avoid containers that are not recyclable or biodegradable, we are going to force not only the beauty industry, but every other industry as well, to start taking care of their boxing preferences and provide us with different choices when it comes to containers and sustainable solutions.
Better to choose refillable and reusable plastic packaging
Looking at the little triangle of arrows at the bottom of polyethylene packaging does not mean it will be recyclable. The truth is that the only parcel stamped with 1 or 2 in the triangle is going to be actually recyclable. The refillable option for polypropylene packaging is the best of all. Many beauty brands are now offering this option to promote and practice sustainability.
Keep this thing in mind the next time you inspect the containers and see if you can understand and make a difference in the store. On the same note, tell your friends this information so they know what they should be looking for.
Source: thongguan.com
Other essential elements to consider
- If the polyethylene containers, for example, a plastic bottle of shampoo contains metal in its pump (which almost every bottle with the pump does have), it cannot be recycled.
- Another critical factor is that dark-colored polypropylene parcels – such as black, brown, and blue – cannot usually be seen in recycling facilities and hence end up in landfills.
- Similarly, small plastic containers of beauty products, nothing smaller than two inches are never going to be recycled – that includes lids, caps, and many mini beauty items.
Conclusion
It’s a big fat challenge to reduce the use of polyethylene packaging, but there must be no excuse for not trying. There are no solutions available, but we have to create solutions. Out of all plastics, no matter what is written on the label, only 9% polypropylene is actually recyclable. Most types of this material can only be recyclable once or twice. However, with most of the companies globally working on recyclable material for boxing, there is little hope for a better and cleaner future.
We need to start from ourselves, and we need to make changes in our lives. If we choose to opt for no wrapping at all, or something like paper that is completely biodegradable, we can take ourselves one step closer to our goal. Start today, and start leading by example instead of waiting for everyone else to change, and for you to just follow.
