Aptar and Quadpack unveil ash wood-based refillable lipstick packaging
09 Jun 2022 --- Quadpack and Aptar Beauty + Home, a manufacturer of beauty dispensing solutions, have collaborated to create the Iconic Woodacity lipstick, a refillable lipstick packaging. The two companies have combined their expertise in wood and stick mechanisms to develop a product.
“The Iconic Woodacity lipstick has a combination of [environmentally] sustainable features. The casing is made of wood sourced from sustainably managed forests and it is monomaterial, requiring no separate insert to affix to the base,” Denisa Stircea, senior category specialist at Quadpack, tells PersonalCareInsights.
“To add, being refillable, consumers can use a single casing for various lipsticks. The mechanism and the casing are made in factories where production waste is largely either recycled or used for fuel. Quadpack’s wood factory uses the waste to fuel its heating, air-conditioning and wood drying ovens.”
The mechanism is enclosed in a custom-designed and manufactured monomaterial case made of 100% certified ash wood from sustainably managed forests by Quadpack. Wood gives a sensory dimension to the pack while also adding natural beauty.
“By creating a casing that is 100% wood to fit a prestige lipstick mechanism, we are showing how this natural material lends itself well to luxury color cosmetics,” adds Stircea.
Design and feel
The Iconic Woodacity lipstick is a “premium” pack with a minimal impact and a high level of consumer engagement.
It features Aptar’s Iconic mechanism and provides a smooth, consistent and precise rotation over time. It’s reliable and works with most filling lines without any adjustments. Additionally, the mechanism is POM-free, glue-free, and lubricant-free, allowing for smooth bullet actuation.
The patented ‘Solo Twist’ system has an oval-shaped interior that ensures the cap locks automatically after a quarter turn. The twist gesture departs from standard click closures.
The Iconic Woodacity lipstick features Quadpack’s expertise in wood and Aptar’s lipstick technology.“This is the first product in Quadpack’s Woodacity range of full-wood packaging solutions to feature the Solo Twist closure system. It offers the dual benefit of enabling a full-wood, insert-free pack and a new gesture for an improved experience.”
The lipstick may be easily refilled by removing the used mechanism and replacing it with a new one. Users can also swap out various colors and insert the one they want to use today, lowering the pack’s environmental impact.
Made in Europe
The entire pack is manufactured in Europe. Aptar manufactures the mechanism in Chavanod, France. Aptar Chavanod uses renewable energy, while 95% of production waste is reused or recycled.
“The whole pack is made in Europe, bringing it closer to home for Europe-based brands compared with lipsticks from Asia, for example. Most of Quadpack’s customer base is in Europe and the company seeks to provide solutions in the region, for the region,” says Stircea.
The wooden container is made at Quadpack’s wood factory in Catalonia, Spain, where a biomass plant converts production waste into energy.
“Wood has become almost a standard part of the beauty packaging material portfolio, with fragrance leading the way. Wooden caps are now a luxury component for many fragrances on the market. Now, wood is making inroads into makeup packaging too,” Stircea continues.
The wood container can be Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified on demand.
In previous developments, Aptar unveiled Purity Lite, a polyethylene closure and tube combination that creates a fully recyclable monomaterial solution for personal care products.
By Nicole Kerr
