As consumer awareness of the impact of plastic packaging on the environment grows, the demand for quality sustainable products is growing with it. To meet this demand and generate positive change, P&G Beauty launched its Responsible Packaging project to help consumers embrace sustainable lifestyles through reusable packaging.
P&G Beauty is innovating, collaborating and taking action to reflect the circular economy across its portfolio of brands. Since it first began to reduce the use of primary plastics in its packaging in 2016, the company has pursued a range of solutions with the aim of making packaging more sustainable. It is committed to ensuring 100% of its packaging will be recyclable or reusable and virgin petroleum plastic in packaging is reduced by 50% by 2030.
P&G Beauty sees refill behaviour a big part of the future of sustainable packaging. The 2020 launch of the P&G Beauty “good refill system” will enable as many as 200 million households across Europe to reduce, reuse and recycle their packaging. The new packaging system aims to make the reuse of packaging more appealing while halting the production of approximately 300 million virgin plastic bottles annually starting in 2021.
P&G Beauty announced its “good refill system” packaging innovation in late 2020 to influence the way consumers buy, use and dispose of their shampoo bottles. The initiative will allow consumers to purchase their products from the company’s leading brands in attractive reusable bottles and fully recyclable refill pouches made with 60% less plastic than standard shampoo bottles. Moreover, the bottles are made of aluminium, which does not rust and is recyclable. Launches in most European markets in which P&G Beauty operates are due by the end of 2021.*
P&G Beauty has made significant progress in reducing its environmental footprint over the past decade, developing more efficient ways of operating as it continues to grow. The company has reduced its packaging material usage by more than 200,000 metric tons and its energy consumption by 19% since 2010. Ninety percent of its product packaging is either recyclable or programmes are in place to create the ability to recycle it, putting it well on its way to its 2030 goal of 100% recyclable or reusable packaging globally.
* Not recyclable in Belgium, Ireland, Switzerland due to lack of local recycling facilities.