26.01.2021
Sustainable plastic packaging: definition and criteria
Consumers want to buy eco-friendly cosmetics thats why manufacturers should produce more sustanable packaging and improve the ecological profile of production (economical use of resources, reduction of carbon footprint, etc.). About 90% of the MIRAN standard assortment refers to criteria of sustainable packaging.
Definition of sustainable packaging
Sustainable plastic packaging for cosmetics is:
✔ is recyclable (easily recyclable) or contains recycled plastic;
✔ 100% monomaterial, non-composite or separate easily;
✔ does not contain composite materials (combinations of several types of materials for example tubes, sachets, doypacks, tetrapaks, etc.);
✔ has water-washable label or direct-printed with non-toxic ink;
✔ not black because it is not recognized by automatic sorting. White or unpainted plastic is more sustainable but other colors are also acceptable, except black.
Criteria of sustainability of plastic packaging for cosmetics
1. Recyclable for 100%. Recyclability is the main criterion for sustainable packaging today.
The most easily recyclable plastics - PE, PP, PET:
It's important for easy recycle:
✔ monomaterial;
✔ easy visual recognition on the sorting conveyor (incl. labels and marks «100% recyclable», etc.);
✔ correct sorting (without organic leftovers of the product);
✔ infrastructure for plastic recycling.
2. Packaging made from renewable raw materials (bioplastics).
3. Reuse of packaging (reusable same packaging, refills).
4. Packaging made from recycled materials (plastics).
5. Ecodesign of packaging:
✔ without non-recyclable and hard-to-peel off labels or slivers;
✔ without foiling or metalization;
✔ a shape of packaging that allows to remove product without leftovers;
✔ no dispensers with metal parts (metal-free);
✔ easy to separete parts or unscrew the cap before sorting and recyclling;
✔ correct marking of materials on label.
6. Responsible origin of packaging materials (FSC-certified cardboard and paper packaging).
We can develop sustainable packaging including eco-friendly decoration solutions.
Please use our catalog to find the sustainable packaging for your future products.