Dto skincare, perfumes, shampoos and body products, i beauty refill products they are conquering more and more space on shelves and in consumer habits. But how much do they really impact the sustainability of the cosmetics sector? If on the one hand the refillable packs promise to reduce waste and consumption of raw materials, on the other hand their success depends on the ability to transform consumer behavior.
Beauty refill products: the true environmental impact
«The refill represents one of the most concrete solutions for reduce the environmental impact of beauty productsbecause it allows you to reuse the main packaging several times, reducing the consumption of raw materials and the amount of waste generated” begins to explain Michele Succio, General manager by L’Occitane Italia.
«However, the true potential of the refill emerges when it is adopted on a large scale. It’s not simply a matter of introducing new packaging, but to encourage a change in consumption habits, promoting a more circular model based on reuse rather than on the continuous replacement of packaging.”
“In L’Occitane en Provence we have long believed in the value of this approach: we introduced the first eco-refills in 2008 and today we offer over 30 refill solutions within our collections. For us, refill is not a trend, but a strategic lever to contribute to reducing the environmental impact of the beauty sector and accompany consumers towards more responsible consumption practices.”
Do top-ups really win?
«The main barrier to the adoption of refill systems is not of a technological nature, but of a cultural nature. Many consumers are still accustomed to a linear purchasing model, where the product is purchased, used and then completely replaced. The refill instead requires a change in habits and greater familiarity with the concepts of reuse and circularity.”
«For this reason, in addition to developing practical and accessible solutions, it is essential to invest in consumer education and the purchasing experience. We continue to work on product design and the in-store experience to make the refill gesture increasingly simple, natural and desirable” continues Succio.
The strongest beauty refills?? For perfumes and skincare
«The categories that are showing the fastest adoption are certainly skincare and personal care, in particular detergents, shampoos, conditioners and body products. In fact, these are products used daily and repurchased frequently, for which the practical and economic benefit of the refill is immediately perceptible.”
«The fragrance segment is also experiencing a strong evolution towards refillsespecially in the market premium, where the value of the object and packaging makes the idea of preserving it over time particularly interesting.
Make-up still presents some complexities related to the format and conservation of the productbut it represents a growing area with interesting development prospects.
The (real) costs of a refillable line
Develop one refillable line Is it therefore a truly sustainable and economically advantageous choice? «Sustainability certainly represents one of the main reasons that push companies to invest in refill systems, since they allow them to reduce material consumption and extend the useful life of packaging» explains the expert.
(Credits: L’Occitane en Provence)
«For the model to be truly effective, however, it must be adopted on a large scale. The development of a refillable line requires investments in research, design, logistics and consumer training. The economic advantage therefore emerges in the medium-long term, when the refill becomes an integral part of purchasing habits.
In this sense, sustainability and convenience are not opposing objectives: when the system is well designed, the refill can generate value for the environmentfor the consumer and for the company” continue from L’Occitane.
Refill system: the future of cosmetics
Looking to the future, will the refill system become a norm in beauty? «We believe that the refill is destined to become an increasingly important component of the beauty industry. Consumers, companies and institutions are showing growing attention towards more responsible and circular consumption models.”
«The challenge of the next few years will be to move from initiatives still perceived as alternatives to widespread and consolidated behaviors. To achieve this it will be necessary continue to innovatecollaborate across the entire supply chain and offer solutions that are not only sustainable, but also practical and convenient. After further fifteen years of investments in refill, we continue to consider it a strategic priority and one of the most concrete tools to contribute to the sustainable transformation of the beauty sector» concludes Michele Succio.