Billed as "a world first in luxury beauty", Unilever-owned REN Clean Skincare has debuted a sample pack made entirely of recycled aluminum. The sample’s nozzle is designed to be broken off to reseal the tube.
REN Clean Skincare’s new sampling pack, produced by aluminum tubes specialist Tubex, is an alternative to plastic or mixed material samplers. Made from 100% recycled aluminum, the tube contains 95% PCR and 5% PIR content.
In addition to facilitating recycling, the monomaterial sampler protects against light degradation and oxidation, while the material’s malleability is said to offer greater product restitution. As the aluminum nozzle is designed to be broken off and used to reseal the pack, it avoids the use of tamper seals or mini plastic caps.
REN explains that the while the packs represent a cost premium – particularly compared with mixed-material sachets, which it stopped using in 2018 – the additional cost will not be passed on to the consumer.
"While more costly, we are committed to using these new tubes to reduce plastic waste and hope to encourage other beauty brands to rethink their sample packaging with the planet in mind,” REN Clean Skincare Chief Executive Officer Arnaud Meysselle said in a statement.
As part of its Zero Waste Pledge, REN Clean Skincare is aiming for its packaging to be recyclable or reusable and made using recycled materials by the end of 2021.