Business Beat: Cosmoprof Suppliers Say That Green Is Still a Vague Term
Dieter and Kree Bakic of DieterBakicEnterprises were among the suppliers at Cosmoprof to share their thoughts on sustainability.
At April’s Cosmoprof trade show in Italy, many packaging suppliers reported that although they have received numerous requests from beauty companies for green packages, these companies themselves are often uncertain as to what characteristics make a package truly sustainable. This can make it difficult for suppliers to determine exactly what features to deliver.
In addition, these suppliers urge both marketers and suppliers to consider all of the aspects that can make a package friendly—and unfriendly—to the earth. Many factors can make a package earth-friendly. Bioplastics, recyclable materials, lighter weight, and reduction of emissions during production and shipping are just a few factors that can contribute to sustainability. However, a package that is green in one aspect may be unfriendly to the earth in others. Kree Bakic, co-owner of DieterBakicEnterprises, says, “Just because a package is made from an environmentally friendly material, it could still be unfriendly in other areas. Is it taking double the amount of energy to produce? Is its transportation optimized in terms of reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted? These are things that must be thought about,” she says.
Frank Beinborn, marketing manager for Seidel GmbH + Co. (Marburg, Germany), agrees that there is still uncertainty about defining green. “It depends on so many factors,” he says. Meanwhile, he says, Seidel has started advertising its longtime green processes, such as anodizing aluminum components using a 100% natural process and without heavy metals.
Dieter Bakic, president of DieterBakicEnterprises, says that until it becomes clear what the optimal features for sustainability are, his company will continue to do research and development and slowly roll out components that it believes are green. “We will launch green packages when we’re sure they’re the right solution,” he says. Some of the options his company is currently developing are components made from grass and polypropylene with a lighter weight.
Supplier Alcan Packaging Beauty is building a database containing information on all of the green materials that the company knows are available so that its customers can make informed choices more easily. “We want to be really clear about all of the new materials that have recently become available,” says Cecile Tuil, director of communications at Alcan Packaging Beauty, who spoke at a Cosmoprof seminar about the environment and packaging. “We’re getting a number of requests for information from many different companies.”
Also, she adds, some bioplastics offer features that differ from what marketers are used to looking for. “Some bio-based resins are shiny, while others are dull. Only certain types can be surface printed. It’s a lot of new information to keep up with. It has been harder than expected to try to clearly and consistently define sustainability.”