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CPC 2008 Editor's Choice Award Panel
CPC 2008 Editor's Choice Award Panel
May 21, 2008
Nicole Smith served as a panelist in the 2008 Editor's Choice Awards - here's a snapshot of the 3 Sustainable Packaging Awards:
Aveda Men Pure-Formance Hair Care Collection
by The Estée Lauder Companies
Aveda continually raises the bar when it comes to sustainable packaging. Its Aveda Men Pure-Formance Hair Care Collection includes high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottles with a post-consumer recycled (PCR) content of 95%—the highest percentage that the brand has used to date. “We increased our PCR percentage by 15%, going from 80% to 95%. The only virgin material used is for the colorant carrier,” says Heather Swanson, package development manager, Aveda.
She continues, “This packaging system supports our principal goal at Aveda, which is to minimize our ecological footprint. A major part of accomplishing this goal is achieved by using the highest level of postconsumer content. In doing so, we reduce our use of virgin HDPE by 300 tons annually.”
A statement printed on the packages communicates information about how the PCR is used. CPC Packaging awards panelist Nicole Smith, environmental director for Design & Source Productions Inc., says that such a statement helps consumers to understand PCR’s benefits. “These bottles are physical examples that help to explain the recycling story. Consumers will understand that the plastic is being reused for something else. This is so important, because education is key,” says Smith. “Aveda is such a forward-thinking brand,” she adds.
Pushing towards even greater levels of sustainability is a goal that everyone at Aveda takes seriously. “It’s what keeps us all excited about our work,” says Swanson.
Green Room Collection
by Smashbox Cosmetics
Smashbox Cosmetics’ Green Room Collection speaks to what consumers want now. Consumers want eco-conscious products that are formulated with natural ingredients. They also like knowing that the packages are biodegradable. Smashbox delivers all of this, while making sure that the brand’s environmental message is heard.
“Raising awareness at the consumer level is critical,” says Sylvie Rouaix, vice president, global product development, Smashbox Cosmetics. “Furthering the awareness of environmental issues in consumers’ minds has an effect on their purchasing decisions—which affects the entire industry.” Smashbox has even partnered with nonprofit organization Trees for the Future. The organization will plant a tree in a developing country for every Green Room product sold. The compacts in the Green Room Collection are biodegradable and contain eye shadow, face powder, or bronzer. They are made from corn-based polylactic acid (PLA) resin.
CPC Packaging awards panelist Nicole Smith, environmental director for Design & Source Productions Inc., weighs in with her evaluation of the line. “There are definitely a few more things this brand could be doing with its packaging to make it even greener, but it’s a step in the right direction because finding ways to use alternative materials is so important,” says Smith. “It helps us all move a step closer, as an industry, toward even greater environmental awareness. It’s brands like this that are paving the way for more progress in the future.”Origins Organics
by The Estée Lauder Companies
Origins Organics’ skin and body care collection represents a full-circle approach to sustainability. There is even a plan for what will happen to the packaging once it’s been used. The Estée Lauder Companies has taken on the massive responsibility of collecting back these packages for recycling.
The bottles in the line are made from glass, PET, or polypropylene outer shells with polyethylene inner layers. “Certain bottles are made with multiple materials to help protect the formulations,” says Lynn Mazzella, vice president, global product development, Origins. “It might be too difficult for most consumers to properly take apart and recycle the different types of materials on their own, which is why we created the recycling program.”
Consumers can bring the packages back to the store, where they are separated by material. When enough packages are collected, they are sent to a recycling facility. There, the plastic bottles are ground into flakes and reused as a source of postconsumer recyclate (PCR). “We hope to be able to stockpile enough PCR material from this return program to reuse it to make new Origins packages,” says Mazzella.
The outer cartons used in this line are made with 80% PCR and 20% Forest Stewardship Council–certified paperboard in a factory that runs on wind power.Awards panelist Nicole Smith, environmental director for Design & Source Productions Inc., applauds the brand. “Everything that Origins does is amazing, and other companies could learn a lot from them. The take-back program is crucial, and it’s really great that Origins has taken this step.”