As it works towards its goal of making its packaging 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025, beauty packaging manufacturer Albéa has invested in its Tubes business in the US, as well as its Matamoros plant in Mexico, with a new metallization line.
At a press conference earlier this week giving an update on its US activities, Albéa highlighted that its Tubes business in the US, which produces laminated and extruded packs across five manufacturing plants, has invested $40m in its facilities since 2020, including in high-capacity production processes and digital printing technology. New materials for sustainable packaging are also a major focus. “Sustainability is the most important topic today in the world of packaging; there’s been more changes in the past two years than in my entire career in the industry,” affirmed Kristina Christensen, VP Sales Tubes America.
Christensen highlighted several of Albéa’s developments in the realm of sustainable tubes: the cardboard-based tube developed with L’Oréal’s La Roche-Posay and the chemically recycled tube created with Sabic for Estée Lauder Companies’ Origins. Some 85% of the supplier’s equipment for extruded tubes is able to produce tubes with 40% PCR content, and 100% is compatible with Albéa’s patented GreenLeaf laminate technology for tubes that can be recycled in the HDPE bottle stream, said Christensen. Mono material PE tubes are also an option.
While Albéa’s Tubes business worldwide suffered last year, this was not as much as feared, the group explained, as a portion of production capability switched to tubes for hand sanitizer gel. Albéa is hoping to return to 2019 levels for its tubes business this year, as compared to 2022 at best for the rest of the business.
Albéa’s plant in Matamoros, Mexico, its “center of excellence” for mascara packaging in the region, recently added skincare packaging to its remit and also aims to broaden its reach among indie and emerging brands. Just over $3m was recently invested in a metallization line at the plant with a capacity of 200,000 units a day. General Manager Carlos Rubio said that the line allows for a 30%-50% reduction in the consumption of lacquers.
