Two years ago, wood accounted for less than 5% of the fragrance and cosmetics packaging market. Yet Spanish supplier Pujolasos has increased its production capacity by 80% since then as demand for sustainable luxury beauty packaging soars.
Pujolasos, a family-owned specialist in wooden caps and coverings, is predicting big growth in these components in the next five years, and not just for perfumes and cosmetics. During a press conference earlier this summer, the company highlighted its latest investments and innovations.
Pujolasos has invested €3m over the last three years, notably in increasing production capacity by 80%. This was behind its purchase of a former Axilone factory in Spain that now houses its lacquering and assembly processes. The supplier highlights that as a result of increasing drying capacity it can now offer shorter lead times — around two months from brief to end product. Investments over the next 12 months, meanwhile, will be in new machinery and sustainability efforts, such as its new boiler heated with production offcuts.
Some 90% of Pujolasos’ projects are fully customizable. Its components are made of ash and beech wood for the most part, sourced in Europe, with all wood FSC and PEFC certified. Screenprinting, hot-stamping, debossing and integrating aluminum parts into the wood are all possible, although the company puts the focus on laser engraving as it is the most sustainable option. When it comes to cost, Pujolasos says that while wood is perhaps 15% to 20% more expensive than a plastic cap, the price premium is difficult to compare in terms of quality as “a qualitative plastic cap is more expensive than a qualitative wood cap”.
Innovations a-go-go
Over the past two years, the company has introduced several new products developed with sustainability in mind, including Woodle, the first wooden cap fitted with a disposable plastic inner to facilitate recycling. Mainly geared to the perfume industry, Woodle can also be used in food applications. PCR plastic inners are available, as are a number of decoration options.
An extension of Woodle is Woork, a solution that uses cork instead of a plastic inner. Woork is only suitable for the fragrance industry (as cork cannot be threaded) and can be adapted to any pump. At end of life, the cap can be disposed of in organic waste with all components still assembled. Woork was used for Loewe’s Fragrance to Go last year, as well as for Freshly Cosmetics.
Woon, meanwhile, is a wooden cap that works with a cork liner, but is mainly oriented to the skincare and food industry. It uses neither glue nor a plastic inner and offers the same customization options as the supplier’s other wooden caps. Any thread can be customized with no tooling costs as it is mechanized on the wood. Several projects using Woon will soon launch, says Pujolasos.
The company, which is targeting sales of €8.5m in 2021, is looking into new markets including home fragrance. Make-up could spell potential, although Pujolasos highlights that wood has a long way to go in the make-up industry, which is restricted due to costs.
