Innovations in wood packaging, and how responsible sourcing makes all the difference

When it comes to wood sourcing for packaging, many people seem to associate it with damaging practices such as deforestation. However, this is a big misunderstanding, and a myth that we are going to try to dispel in this article.

Sustainable wood sourcing practices, in fact, have contributed to growing the share of forests in Europe by 10% in the last 40 years. In particular, Spain (19 million hectares), is one of the countries with the largest forest areas in the EU after Sweden (28 million hectares), and Finland (22 million hectares). 

And it’s precisely in Spain that cosmetics packaging manufacturer Pujolasos is based, one of the pioneers in ethical and responsible wood packaging for the cosmetics industry.

Established in 1967 near Barcelona, Pujolasos started out in the wood furniture industry. Over time, the company began to diversify its offering and today it stands as a leading manufacturer of wood caps and closures for luxury cosmetics brands.

Pujolasos differentiates itself by exclusively using responsible wood, coming from certified sources within the European Union.

What does sustainable forest management look like?

When we talk about sustainable forest management, we refer to practices that not only do not harm the environment, but that actually help preserve it for future generations. For example, forests need to oxygenate themselves regularly, and this crucial process happens when selected trees are cut.

These can be trees that are no longer healthy and that would prevent younger and healthier trees from growing and thriving. By following responsible forest management practices, only a small number of trees are cut down at very specific times of the year, in a cyclical way. 

Because using 100% ethically sourced wood is in Pujolasos’s DNA, the supplier always chooses this type of raw material, even if the client doesn’t specifically ask for it. 

More factors contributing to responsibly-sourced wood

Responsibly-sourced wood, like the kind used by Pujolasos, is not just wood coming from ethically-managed forests. It’s also wood that doesn’t come from trees at risk of extinction, or whose sourcing might in any way negatively impact the local communities.

For example, for the past couple of years Pujolasos has stopped sourcing wood from Ukraine, due to the current conflict in the area, as it deems it to be unethical.

Towards a greener supply chain

For most companies, guaranteeing a 100% clean supply chain would be pretty much impossible. Pujolasos, however, takes its sustainability commitment very seriously, and strives to do whatever it can to ensure its processes and operations are as clean as possible, throughout the entire supply chain. 

One way the company does this is by not using water for its manufacturing processes, whilst also keeping water usage and waste to a minimum across other areas of the business. Similarly, Pujolasos always tries to minimise its energy use. In general, the supplier is constantly determined to find better and more responsible practices, aside from its wood sourcing processes.

Nothing gets wasted

That Pujolasos is trying anything it can to combat waste is something that we already discussed in our article on Matsos. But another remarkable thing that the Spanish company is doing is the way it’s reusing the leftover wood from its wood-sourcing processes.

Instead of disposing of it, Pujolasos sends it to a local power station, which converts it into heating sources. So, not only has the company found a great way to reuse these leftovers, but it also contributes to providing heating to its local community.

Beyond wood sourcing: 360-degree sustainability

As we mentioned, Pujolasos’s dedication to sustainability stretches far beyond its core operations. The company, in fact, has a collaboration in place with Plant-for-the-Planet. This is an organisation that specialises in forest restoration and the protection of biodiversity. 

Through this partnership, Pujolasos provides sustainability training and education to young people across a range of local and national schools. By doing so, the supplier contributes to empowering the younger generations with better knowledge of the climate crisis and the ways in which we can all tackle it together. 

Beauty innovations for a cleaner future

Always looking to the future through an innovative, responsible lens, Pujolasos is currently very busy working towards its B Corp certification, which will serve as further proof of the company’s sustainable and ethical commitment. Right now, Pujolasos already holds several important certifications, including a silver Ecovadis.

In parallel, Pujolasos is continuing to expand its horizons and search for more sustainable opportunities within the luxury cosmetics packaging industry. For example, the supplier has recently launched Matsos, a line of luxury cosmetics caps and closures based on the motto “Waste Is the New Raw”.

This collection is all about giving a second lease of life to textile waste, such as denim and leather, by transforming it into beautiful and functional caps and closures.

With its track record of innovations, ethical commitments, and significant contributions to the sustainable cosmetics sector, we keep looking forward to any new launches by Pujolasos.