Refill packaging - a sustainable option?
Sustainable perfumes are on the rise, all consumer research points to this. What options do we have if we are looking for sustainable perfume options?
Is there a better alternative to refill packaging?
Unfortunately refill packaging also requires additional packaging – new bottles, boxes and closures. . Swarovski designed their new perfume to be refillable.
Back to the factory
Eden Perfumes in the UK offer a refill option for their perfume. Though you have to post the empty bottle back to their factory to be refilled and then sent back out to you.
A luxury option for sustainable perfumes
Other big brands have limited refill stations in select outlets and cities, largely in Europe.
Such as Guerlain in their flagship store in Paris. Also Roja Dove offers a refill option in Harrods using Daum crystal dispensers. This makes buying a sustainable perfume into an occasion! Le Labo offers refilling in France primarily and selected European outlets. Caron offers a refill station at Fortnum and Mason in London.
Eco friendly perfume dispensers
Chic Shaik in the Middle East has had perfumery refill bars in its larger distribution outlets since their launch. They also offer a lifetime refill service for their bottles. Additionally they will refurbish their beautiful sustainable perfume bottles (at a cost) to ensure that they last a lifetime.
How to encourage sustainable perfumes?
Hopefully this is the way forward and more companies will start to buy into this new way of working. However, this requires not only investment from brand owners, but also cooperation from retail outlets. We need more pressure from consumers or penalties imposed by governments to encourage more recycling. Tthis approach is unlikely to become available in your local perfume retail outlet.
Probably pressure from younger consumers will have an effect on brands to increase the availability sustainable perfume brands. Let us hope for the sake of the planet that this time comes sooner rather than later.
Challenges of recycling and sustainability
The threat of global warming has meant that many of us are rethinking the way we shop and what we buy. However, for cosmetics and perfumery brands how feasible is it to recycle perfume packaging? Which perfume brands are truly environmentally friendly?
Few materials are mono materials : often glass will have a metal badge glued on it or have special colour lacquer. A crimp pump is a complicated combination of aluminium, plastic and metal. Most caps are made up of more than one material, as they need a pp inner inside to offer flexibility and good fit.
Nearly all perfume bottles sold have crimp pumps on them which has made it impossible in the past to refill them. Most consumers cannot remove the crimp pump, it is too tight and difficult to remove.
So who is doing well in terms of sustainable perfumes?
- Swarovski (Aura perfume)
- Atelier Cologne (all perfumes)
- Designer Shaikh (all perfumes can be refurbished and refilled)
- Thierry Mugler (in store dispensers)
- Eden Perfumes (send back to factory for refill)
Since first writing this article, a lot has changed. The European Union has recently introduced new legislation to require 100% recyclable packaging by 2030. Though we still have a long way to go to achieve these goals.
You may find our other article about sustainable perfumery interesting, please click the link for more details.