Business was brisk on the show floor at Paris Packaging Week, Easyfairs’ newly rebranded PCD, PLD and ADF shows. Luxe Packaging Insight’s editorial team brings selected highlights from the 2022 edition, which closes its doors today.
Stoelzle partnered with French closures specialist Technicaps to develop Le Perpetuel, a standard refillable glass jar weighing in at 129 grams. Designed to be “simple and intuitive” in order to encourage consumers to adopt the refill reflex, the partners looked to make the refill cup easy to remove and replace. This meant positioning the inner cup on top of the jar’s threads so that the component isn’t involuntarily removed as the cap is twisted off. Ease of use also guided the design of the inner cup, which features a three-notch fixation system: a first to position the component, another to maintain it in place and a third to lock it. Technicaps produced a 100% recycled PET cap (with the injection point inside the cap), while the 50ml inner cup is in virgin PP; using a recycled grade of plastic put the formula at risk for contamination, says the supplier. The glass, meanwhile, contains 15% PCR content.
Cosmogen showed innovations centered on its pillars of Safe Beauty, Sustainable Beauty and Expert Beauty. Tapping into demand for ceramic applicators, the supplier’s Pure Face Massager now comes with a ceramic roller for a cold-touch effect and recycled PET handle. The roller can be removed to separate the components at end of life. Destined for solid cosmetics, the patented, monomaterial (PP) ReUse Stick is reloadable and comes with a choice of three applicators for make-up or skincare. The stick is suitable for both top and bottom filling with a 15ml capacity. Cosmogen also showed new make-up brushes, including its Mini Mask Brush with beveled synthetic-fiber (PBT) tuft, aluminum ferrule and FSC wood handle. Its Solid Skincare Kabukis combine a rounded bamboo handle with synthetic bristles and come in four different sizes. With its new rBrush set, Cosmogen has progressively added recycled PET into its PBT tufts: the set now includes the rBrush 100, a rPET monomaterial brush that is assembled without glue.
Groupe Pochet highlighted new glass decoration techniques. Light Nuance (picture below, left) is a new iridescent thermoluster process said to emit six-times fewer VOCs that the previous version. Relief (pictured right) is a digital decoration process that creates textured patterns on the glass thanks to partner company Carbon Decor’s relief ink jet printing technology.
Texen showcased its latest launch for Chanel’s Les Beiges range, a large-format compact in 100% bi-injected recycled PET. The compact’s flawless surface effect is in great part the result of Roctool’s technology. (See next week's Behind the Pack newsletter for more details on the launch). Texen has invested in the heat induction molding process at injection presses at its site near Bourg en Bresse in addition to its Texen Lab. Along with the aesthetic aspect, Roctool’s technology allows for the creation of lighter-weight components with thinner walls. Due to the wide range of surface effects enabled by the process, it also means that fewer decoration processes are needed, thereby lowering a product’s carbon footprint, says the supplier.
On the business front, Texen noted two areas of development for the coming months including a focus on flexible packaging, following its acquisition of PRP Création’s pouch and doypack business earlier this year. Work is underway to develop mono-material flexible packs in the months to come. The dropper segment is another focus: this coming September Texen is launching a dedicated offer in response to the growth in hyaluronic acid-based skincare products.
Glassmaker Verescence showed its new Celeste collection, a range of bottles for bodycare in 100ml, 200ml and 300ml formats. Launching later this year, the collection integrates 20% PCR glass.
Silgan Dispensing presented fine mist and pump solutions. Launching in 2023, Mark VII Max Blossom is a premium, ultra-fine mist sprayer with an elongated spray pattern that distributes micro droplets. Positioned as an alternative to aerosols, it is propellant free, can be used with refills and could be particularly suited to organic deodorants.
The POM-free Sinfonia Crème Elegance lotion pump comes with five different outputs. With 40% less force-to-actuation, it offers a noise-free and softer actuation than other products in the Sinfonia line. SP22 SR and Sinfonia Elegance SR (Superior Resistance) have reinforced engines suitable for aggressive formulations (bi-phase, oils, foundations). For Sinfonia Elegance SR, Silgan replaced elastomers with PE for certain components in line with its focus on simpler polymers with well-established recycling streams. The product is said to have improved formula compatibility.
EOS Innovation showed its Skin Evolution product in a smaller format suited to fragrance bottles or cosmetic jars. With this development, the supplier is looking to position its elastomer sleeve, designed for wine and Champagne bottles, for beauty applications. The soft-touch sleeve can be embossed or debossed, and a label applied.
EOS Innovation also showed Harmony, a zamak cap designed to fit over the cork of large-format Champagnes to create a more harmonious volume of the stopper in relation to the size of the bottle. When the bottle is opened, the cork stays inside the cap.
Bormioli Luigi showed its progress in the area of lightweighting: the new 30ml EcoSkin bottle from its Ecoline collection weighs 29g compared to 42g for the previous version due to walls that are just 0.5mm thick.
Also on show was SafeGlass coating, a two-stage lacquering process that applies a protective coat followed by a color coat, that targets glass bottles used in a bathroom setting.
French decoration specialist Seram highlighted its Eco-Friendly decorations and ornaments range made from bio sourced, recycled, and biodegradable or oeko-tex certified materials. These include French-sourced marine leather, vegan leather made of 80% PU and 20% cactus, recycled denim fiber, banana bark and bamboo. Applications for Seram’s Eco-Friendly range include medallions, ribbons or flat ornaments that can be colored, laser engraved or digitally printed.
Fragrance refill solutions specialist Techniplast presented a prototype of an in-store fragrance refill machine that works without electricity. A hand pump action pushes air into the full flacon, which transfers the liquid into the bottle to be refilled. As the device does not require the removal of the pump from the bottle, it is compatible with crimped pumps as well as screw neck flacons.
In addition to EcoFusion Top, its single-component HDPE open-and-close system that is said to reduce the weight of the tube by 55% compared to a standard tube, Albéa showed its made-in-France Breizhstick. While lip balm and lipstick mechanisms often contain styrenic materials such as ABS and POM, this four-piece guided stick is monomaterial, made from PP.
Pusterla 1880 teamed up with fellow Italian supplier Lumson to create a Xpaper, an airless pack housed in a cylindrical cardboard tube. The innovation was first presented at Cosmpack Bologna. Easily separated for recycling, the two components fit together mechanically with no need for the addition of glue. “The creation of innovative eco-designed packaging can be accelerated by combining different areas of expertise,” Pusterla 1880 CEO Roberto Marini told Luxe Packaging Insight. “In this case, our mastery of secondary packaging has partnered with a leader in airless technology.” Xpaper’s outer shell allows for numerous decoration options. The product is entirely made in Italy.
Packaging supplier Coverpla was highlighting the potential of personalization through decoration of its standard fragrance bottles as well as spotlighting its Green Attitude line, whose flacons feature up to 25% PCR content. The Ambassador model (pictured below), a newcomer to the range, integrates 20% PCR content and comes with a screw neck to facilitate separability and therefore recycling. On the closures front, the French company showed its wooden caps that now offer two alternatives to plastic inserts, either cork or simply threading the inside of the wooden cap. Coverpla’s Lord reference (pictured below) is made of 100% injected PLA, or biomass. Threaded on the inside, the solution also forgoes the need for plastic.
French labels and printing specialist Inessens showed its label that is applied using water-soluble adhesive. This type of adhesive forms bonds that can be dissolved in water, which allows the labels to be cleanly removed from a bottle without leaving behind adhesive residue. The labels are made of FSC and recycled paper and are decorated using a range of 12 natural pigments.
Italian manufacturer Lumson expanded its Re-Place refillable glass jar range with a new version dubbed Japa. Available in 15ml and 50ml formats, Japa features the same PP removable inner cup refill system as Re-Place, but comes in a shape that is more square and, flat.
Arcade Beauty Retail expanded its turnkey retail range with reusable eye patches and face masks made of 100% silicone. The washable products are meant to lock in the formula of choice and are said to be “infinitely reusable”. Decoration options include screenprinting and coloring. Also on display was a range of monodose formats: the thermo 3D double-case ampoule with snap-off top is designed to house hair or body products, while water-activated compressed powder spheres are suitable for face and body formulations.
French plastic packaging specialist Cep presented CepAirless, a 100% recyclable cosmetic pump made of 99.6% polyolefin, 92% of which is polypropylene. In order for an optimal piston functionality, a friction between PE and PP materials is necessary. Cep has patented the pump motor including bellows made of HDPE, inlet valve, outlet valve, and the air shut-off valve. Intended for skincare and sun care products, CepAirless is suitable for formulation viscosity ranging from 100 to 10,000 Cp and delivers a low dose of the product up to 0.15 cubic centimetre . Cep explains that the pump has no metal components allowing it to be integrated into the Rigid PP recycling system. The pump can be produced with either mechanically or chemically recycled materials.
