Sustainable Packaging: Brands' Innovations - Bio Inspiration
Our annual packaging innovations trend report highlights the most innovative and interesting sustainable beauty packaging design concepts and initiatives launched in the last 12 months from niche to mass and luxury brands that have caught our attention. Read on to discover the latest packaging concepts in our final series, which focuses on new upcycled, recycled and natural materials.
Our Sustainable Packaging Design Innovations & Key Trends 2024 report is split into three parts:
- Eco Anxiety/ Eco-Boredom - link here
- Packaging Disappearance - link here
- Bio Inspiration - see article below
*this report feature products launched in January to October 2024.
Macro Trends
re/sources has identified three big macro trends in 2024:
- Eco Anxiety/Eco-Boredom (sensorial / tactile / immersive / inclusive / easy recycling): Bored of the pressures of sustainability, consumers are increasingly seeking beauty products that provide excitement and entertainment with sensorial, holistic and 360 circular design that taps into the mind-connection.
- Packaging Disappearance (refillable / keepsake / reusable / luxury vessels): Packaging is no longer just a transportation device or a protective/ application tool, but a keepsake object with value. This trend is all about removing the waste element of packaging and creating a beautiful design piece that can last a lifetime.
- Bio Inspiration (upcycled / recycled materials / marine bioplastics / algae / mushroom / bacteria): Packaging inspired by the natural world and living organisms to ensure the preservation and regeneration of nature and its biodiversity.
Click here to read the full report on each of the three macro trends.
Key Packaging Trends
Bio Inspiration
- By-Product Materials: using upcycled materials.
- Natural Materials: using materials such as algae that can dissolve as well as bamboo and mushroom.
- Recycled Materials: from ocean plastic to post consumer recycled (PCR) materials.
- Carbon Capture: packaging made from carbon capture processes.
By-Product Materials
Unplain
Skincare brand that combining science with nature, high-performance ingredients and thoughtful packaging design.
Why it’s interesting: The brand opts for packaging that are recyclable, made with minimal natural resources. The products are housed in packaging boxes made from straw paper, while the outer packaging is made from a byproduct of wheat farming, printed with soy ink.
Market: US
Launch: May 2024
Lumene
The new 50ml bio-based jars come in colourful mono material packaging and are said to be fully and easily recyclable as plastic.
Why it’s interesting: The jars are lighter and more compact than the previous 50ml packaging. It contains the same amount of moisturizer but requires 44% less packaging material. Its carbon footprint is up to 38% smaller compared to the previous bio-based package. The packaging is made from side streams of the Finnish forest industry. Tall oil, a side stream material of pulp manufacturing, is used to produce biobased feedstock, which is the raw material for plastic production.
Market: Global/Finland
Launch: October 2024
Natural Materials
Ben & Anna
Déodorant packaging made from “world-first” polypotato packaging.
