Editors’ Choice Award Winner: Cosmetics
PlantLove
by Cargo Cosmetics
In the packaging world, the buzz on environmental friendliness has grown steadily louder in the past year. Many companies and suppliers are now talking the talk, but the companies we really admire are those that put words into action. Enter Cargo Cosmetics. In February, the company launched PlantLove, a lipstick package made from 100% biodegradable, corn-based polylactic acid (PLA) resin.
PLA is an alternative to traditional plastics such as PET, polypropylene, and polystyrene. Produced by NatureWorks LLC, the resin is created using the simple plant sugar found in ordinary field corn. The carbon and other elements in the natural sugar are drawn off through a simple fermentation process. They are separated and polymerized to make NatureWorks PLA. Environmentally friendly, the corn-based resin can be broken down into compost, unlike petroleum-based resins.
“I think this is the wave of the future,” says Cargo’s president, Hana Zalzal. “Why would you make something out of a nonrenewable resource when you can make it out of a renewable one?”
Awards panelist George Kress, vice president of corporate package innovations for The Estée Lauder Companies, is among those who appreciate Cargo’s initiative. “I applaud any company that is making the effort to create packaging from environmentally sustainable materials. It’s becoming more important to think about how your package will impact the environment in a negative or positive way.”
With its flower and heart graphics, PlantLove has a retro 1960s feel. “I really like the tie-in of the whole concept, from the name to the graphics,” says awards panelist Paul McLaughlin, creative director for Liz Claiborne Cosmetics.
To further the Flower Power theme, and to promote ecofriendliness, the carton for PlantLove features biodegradable paper em-bedded with flower seeds. During production, the seeds are mixed into the paper pulp. Customers can wet the carton with water, place it in soil, and a plant will sprout.
“I really love the idea that the packaging fulfills a secondary function,” says panelist Dennis Furniss, vice president of strategic branding and design for design firm Kaleidoscope.
“The fact that a plant sprouts from the carton helps communicate the sustainable aspect of the marketing message,” adds panelist Peter Hargraves, section head of global packaging and device development for Procter & Gamble cosmetics.
Being one of the first commercial brands to launch this type of environmentally friendly package meant that Cargo had to do a lot of research. Zalzal says that she first began exploring earth-friendly packaging options two years ago. At the time, she says, many suppliers she approached weren’t working with PLA. However, she says, “The evolution from the past two years to now has been tremendous. It makes it a lot easier now that so many suppliers are eager to work with it.”
With more suppliers offering PLA packaging, it’s now up to marketers such as Cargo to put those packages on the market. Products such as PlantLove will hopefully encourage commercial launches of sustainable packages. “I’d say this is the only time we’ve launched a product hoping that other brands will copy us,” says Zalzal.
“With the global warming and sustainability issues upon us, we should all be leveraging our position as corporate leaders to improve the environment for future generations,” says Hargraves. “Using PLA sends the sustainability message straight to the consumer.”