The issue of impact on the environment is very timely and is a reality that manifests before our eyes on a daily basis: Global warming, climate change, pollution of ecosystems... The problem is obvious and no longer negligible.
The linear systems of production, distribution, and consumption (from factory to landfill) that we have become accustomed to in recent decades are unable to respond to this emergency, which is why the concept of circular economy: a business model that limits environmental impact and sets out to "give back" what is taken from nature, from production to repurposing the packaging or raw material on the market in another form.
This approach, combined with thetechnological innovation and the use of renewable energies, gives us hope for the future: let's find out how smart management of the packaging can contribute to this important cause.
Materials for sustainable packaging
Materials can have different indices of sustainability: their strength and durability, and their ability to be reused and recycled, their origin from raw materials that are not virgin but secondary, hence recycled, but most importantly, the amount of carbon dioxide and other pollutants emitted from production and processing.
Even a seemingly environmentally friendly material such as the paper has its own environmental impact, both in terms of CO2 and because of the deforestation, which is why the FSC certification (Forest Stewardship Council), which guarantees that it comes from responsibly managed forests.
Glass and aluminum on the other hand, are extremely durable and most importantly easily recyclable: in particular, the recycling of aluminum saves up to 95 percent of the energy required to produce it.
Some particular commodity sectors, such as food or cosmetics, still require the use of the plastic, for reasons of convenience and safety, compared with glass, for example. The solution to this problem lies once again in the responsible choices of producers and consumers: some studies point out that, if a plastic bottle is properly recycled, then the glass one will have to be reused at least twenty times in order for its carbon footprint to be lowered to the levels of that of plastic.
Everyone must do his or her part in the proper differentiation of packaging.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: guidelines for limiting environmental impact.
So what can producers and consumers do to play their part?
The first step lies in reducing consumption and reduce waste to zero, a small but important choice in this regard is to buy products in large format and handle as few shipments as possible: for example, it is preferable to buy one liter bottle versus several orders of 200ml bottles. On the part of companies, therefore, it is important to provide large-format and refillable products, while also equipping themselves with dispensing systems that reduce waste such as airless bottles.
The reuse is another key part of the circular economy, so it is best to always prefer systems that are refillable or can be put to secondary uses once used.
The last and most important step is the recycling: thanks to separate collection, it is indeed possible to recover most of the materials and limit then significantly pollution and resource consumption. For this reason, manufacturers are required to include in each package precise information on theenvironmental labeling, providing detailed information on the proper sorting of all packaging components. However, the end user remains the real key to this whole operation, as he or she has direct responsibility for the disposal of the product in his or her hands.
Procosmet's commitment: we believe in a sustainable world
At Procosmet we have been evolving sustainably for some time now, with very important steps to foster a circular economy in the company and empower our customers to buy in an environmentally sustainable way:
- Green Box Green♡Heart: we reduced the packaging of our online orders from two packages to one and replaced the previous boxes with a Green Box made of 70% FSC MIX cardboard. Less cardboard waste, less volume, less CO2.
- Touch Treat Dispenser: we designed a durable and recyclable all-aluminum and steel display for our Blue Vials, fully modular and refillable with lightweight FSC paper cases.
-
Plant a Tree Project: Thanks to a partnership with Tree Nation, Procosmet's forest was born. For every customer who places an order of at least €60 in our e-commerce or at participating salons, we plant a tree for him. In this way we can cut down the CO2 impact with an important commitment and project.
Now it's your turn to make a sustainable choice: visit our online shop and buy responsibly!
