Everlast, Axilone’s new rechargeable, single-material range offers infinite sustainable possibilities and proves that it is possible to produce environmentally sound luxury products. Laurent Fontaine, Sales Director Europe, and Reynald Trochel, Innovation Director for the group, explain.
Axilone is a frontrunner when it comes to all-aluminum lipstick. What’s new today?
Laurent Fontaine: For years, Axilone has been developing a sustainable, single-material offer in metal and plastic for perfume caps, skincare and makeup packaging, especially for lipstick, cases, and mascaras. What’s different today is the release of the Everlast range, which is unique in that combines single-material design and rechargeability. Single-material packaging in aluminum, PP, PET, and recycled materials (rPET, rPP) is eligible for recycling. The highlight of this range is our all-aluminum lipstick, now available in a rechargeable version. The goal is to offer a set of solutions that that respond to the demand for sustainably expressed by leading luxury brands today.
What strengths is Axilone mobilizing to release this new product line?
Laurent Fontaine: First, we’re drawing on our expertise in metal press-forming and plastic injection, and the expertise of our innovation team, which focuses on three areas: proposing new concepts to deliver formulas, whether perfume, skincare, or makeup; strengthening the consumer’s emotional connection to packaging; and working to reduce the environmental impact of packaging. The Everlast range is a tangible result of this research and offers advanced packaging solutions.
Reynald Trochel: The new range seeks to meet the needs of consumers concerned about recyclability and the carbon footprint of the products they buy; this can be difficult to reconcile with the spirit of luxury, which tends to use more materials and decorative elements. With Everlast, Axilone has succeeded in reconciling the codes of luxury and the constraints of single-material design, rechargeability, and environmental responsibility. And this is due in large part to the company’s recognized expertise in metal, for which it has received several awards—including last year’s Formes de Luxe prize for the first 100%-aluminum compact (including the mirror). A lipstick for Bobbi Brown is another example of a recent single-material product release: the rechargeable, 100%-aluminum cartridge is recyclable in the United States and Europe.
How is this product line innovative and different from others?
Reynald Trochel: Development is driven by the idea of using the material most suited to a desired function. Until now, the solution to these technical problems has been multi-material packaging. Undertaking single-material design implies removing several technical obstacles. Besides these challenges, it’s important to retain the intrinsic properties of premium packaging, especially the “clip fit” effect, a very pleasant audible closure and the signature of a luxury product.
Offering this final sensory pleasure without damaging the component required us to develop a specific insert shape. The same approach was taken with the all-aluminum lipstick to produce a refill that clips in, maintaining a certain fluidity and smoothness when the product is rotated. Our teams worked on these challenges for several years before being able to propose an uncompromising, high-quality offer to all of our clients. Several patents have been registered for the solutions, proof of their innovative qualities.
Do you have a particular goal in terms of environmental responsibility?
Laurent Fontaine: We are continuing to integrate environmental certifications (CSR, EcoVadis, CDP, ISCC, etc.) into our business, and we are implementing a sustainable approach at every level: products, processes, and factories. In our factories, we are implementing innovative varnishing processes that significantly reduce environmental impact (varnishes with a high volume of dry extract, catalytic oxidation to treat solvent emissions, etc.). Similarly, we intend to privilege 100% electric machines for our injection processes. Other targeted investments are being made at the operational level, like the use of solar panels and biomass energy to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and our carbon footprint as much as possible. Environmental responsibility is a global concern at Axilone.
With Everlast, Axilone demonstrates that green can be premium and desirable. What can we expect in 2023?
Laurent Fontaine: Several major releases are scheduled for the end of next year or early 2024, and should make headlines in the market. One of them is the fruit of three years of intense collaboration with a leading client. Our R&D team continues to work on new options, but we are pleased to be able to confirm that sustainable, single-material, and refillable options can complement and convey the codes of luxury. Change is happening!
