“Sustainable packaging” is a term discussed (fortunately) with great simplicity and (unfortunately) with extreme oversimplification.

To address this, all types of primary and secondary packaging are examined, evaluating their functionality, recyclability, and ability to protect.

Today, packaging increasingly represents a ground for circular innovation. People notice and weigh this, but even more so, businesses should: to trigger a virtuous circle, almost unconsciously raising awareness on the topic and inspiring responsible habits and purchasing choices.

Every little detail – from boxes to bottles, from labels to small components like pumps and dispensers – must be questioned, following an incessant path of research, vision, and development.

Back to the future: when glass and aluminum were already the best packaging choice

No, this will not be a tedious excursus of all the evolutions of packaging from the Paleolithic to today.

In the end, the fact that in antiquity cosmetics and makeup were appreciated is no secret, especially for those passionate about the sector: the Egyptians are credited for inventing the first makeup palette (blush and beauty case included), and the Romans with their undisputed intuition regarding the potential of glass, adding it to materials like gold, wood, and bone for large-scale economic sustainability.

But when did glass and metal become predominant materials? Before the industrial revolution.

It was discovered that glass protects the product from oxidation, while metal is indestructible and impermeable, but also durable and reusable.

However, in 1862, Alexander Parkes introduced the first product made from plastic. And so, in short, the use of sustainable materials for cosmetic packaging lost ground to plastic, which was more practical and economical.

 Until we reach today: when finally the levers of environmental sensitivity and responsible choices return (or perhaps begin) to guide production decisions.

Essential accessories more than ever: even dispensers make a difference

 

Let’s start with this assumption: dispensers are designed to simplify life, guaranteeing precise dosing and minimizing product waste.

They are fundamental in cosmetics and beauty products to use creams and lotions, as they allow mindful application and ensure greater cleanliness and protection of the formula.

Now, without getting lost in considerations about the design, size, and necks of these small components so important for product consumption, let’s focus on the huge impact they can have on ecosystems and the environment, despite their small specific weight.

Why?

It’s simple: because they can be separated from the bottle, making them more easily dispersible, but also and above all because they are mostly made of non-recyclable plastic.

And if their ability to carefully dispense the product by delivering only what's necessary is a conscious act, their disposal must also become conscious: this is certainly not a detail to be overlooked.

Metal pump dispensers: Oway’s choice for a world without plastic

A journey is such because it is incessant, without the presumption of ending at the first virtuous choice.

Glass and aluminum in Oway’s post-plastic journey have been the trailblazers: the natural materials, fully and infinitely recyclable, that since 2013 have enclosed the botanical richness of agricosmetic formulas.

However, primary packaging is composed of many elements: the cap, label, and dispensing pump that allows the necessary quantity to be dispensed, not only for cleansing but also for hydration, nourishment, or brightening of the skin.

Oway labels are made from FSC paper: a responsible choice that does not compromise the recyclability of containers, which can be thrown into separate waste collection without needing to remove the labels. And they contain all information on ingredients (INCI) and certifications, avoiding unnecessary packaging like leaflets.

Oway embarked on a transformation process started in 2018: using metal caps—customized with an embossed logo—to seal all bottles and jars compatible with the replacement, allowing interchangeability of dispensers (where necessary for use) until even they underwent a decisive transformation.

And so, here we are today with metal dispensers: reusable, protective, and non-polluting.

TO BE CONTINUED…