Sustainability continues to be a key priority in the beauty and personal care space provided brands’ deep-rooted concern about the damaging effects climate change will have on the future, if not reversed in the present. Packaging is a key component in sustainability best practices. In fact, environmentally-conscious consumers want just as much to feel good about the scents they’re wearing as they do about their wrapping and vanity-worthy display bottles. As fragrance packaging continues to evolve, biodegradable packaging is the future, says Vincenzo Spinnato, CEO of Turnkey Beauty and the cosmetic chemist and certified nose behind fragrances such as Judy: A Garland Fragrance and Ella Fitzgerald Perfume.

But the fine fragrance industry isn’t there quite there yet when it comes to all of the componentry used to house a perfume.

“We have to find that sweet spot where the plastic has the integrity and is actually going to hold up—but I don’t think it will happen in fragrance for a while, because it’s such a high-end, prestige category,” he told Happi. As an example, he pointed to the sometimes “filmsy” feel of water bottles made with PLA (polylactic acid).

“But the boxes can be done. The glass is going to be tough acrylic and that kind of thing,” he asserted.

Fragrance brands are working with components that allow for artistry and protect their products and—thanks to advancing materials science—have improved sustainability profiles.

Judy: A Garland Fragrance launched last year to commemorate the star’s 100th birthday. Spinnato chose a glass bottle custom made in Milan. Its slender bottle, which comes with removable stand, is ruby red to match Garland’s signature glittery slippers from her breakout role as Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz.” The bottle’s shape harkens to the late Old Hollywood icon’s figure when she performed “Get Happy” while donning a black fedora and matching suit.
Both bottle and box are completely recyclable, Spinnato said.

Its black-and-white bifold box symbolizes the beginning of the iconic movie and opens like a stage to reveal color—another nod to Garland as Dorothy entering Oz. Inside the box are thank-you notes from her children, daughters Liza Minelli and Lorna Luft, and son Joey Luft.

The box’s magnet, Spinnato said, was the sole deterrent that prevented it from being biodegradable.

The packaging for Spinnato’s most recent creations—two fragrances that pay homage to the Hollywood Sign’s centennial—will be biodegradable. Due to launch later this year, the scents are called “Sunrise” and “Sunset” and are said to channel daytime and nighttime vibes.

The box encasing the Hollywood sign fragrances will be made of a paper called FiberStone, which is derived from river rock. FiberStone Paper is a tree- and water-free eco-friendly alternative made from natural limestone. In addition to saving trees and water, the material requires less energy to produce than virgin or recycled paper and eliminates the production of waterborne and solid wastes as well as atmospheric emissions.

Within the next five years, Spinnato said he hopes to create a 100% biodegradable box based on a patent he received 15 years ago. The box would be permeated with seeds. When planted, the box biodegrades and the seeds would grow into a tree or plant.

Fragrance Foundation Award Winners & Their Packaging

The Fragrance Foundation held its annual awards ceremony at Lincoln Center in New York City on June 15, during which it bestowed awards for best new scents, lifetime achievement, Hall of Fame honors and great packaging.

“Puig was an extraordinary winner in two categories this year,” said Fragrance Foundation President Linda G. Levy. “The competition was extremely challenging, as all the nominees were important and the finalists all fabulous!”

Christian Louboutin Beauty took home the coveted Luxury Packaging of the Year award for its high-end Loubimar Eau de Parfum Légère, which was created by Puig and the legendary fashion designer.

Loubimar Eau de Parfum Légère is packaged in a bottle reminiscent of the Acropolis pillars. Indentations encompass the cylindrical design with rosé-colored juice. The spherical cap contains spikes with an anchor stepping out of a stiletto heel. Its box contains red velvet on the exterior and protective foam inside. According to the brand, its stylized cap recalls the marine world that inspired the fragrance and is adorned with a ship’s anchor and mooring line posed delicately upon a sea urchin and polished off with a rose-gold e-coating.

Contenders in the packaging of the year category included The Alchemist’s Garden Tears From the Moon Eau de Parfum by Gucci, Mind Games’ Double Attack Extrait de Parfum, Le Vert No. 7723 by Taffin Fragrance and The World According to Arthur by Penhaligon’s.

The Prestige/Popular Packaging of the Year Award went to Jean Paul Gaultier’s Le Beau, which was also created by Puig. The bottle takes the shape of a slender figure with a defined muscular build and a single fig leaf as a covering to represent the “ultra-sexy masculinity” symbol. What’s more, its torso is lacquered with a black and green dégradé effect.

Le Beau won the award in a category that included Eilish No. 2 by Billie Eilish, Of The Immortals by Curly Scents x Zaharoff, Prada Paradoxe Eau de Parfum by Prada and Tuberose Angelica Design Edition Ceramic Candle by Jo Malone London x Richard Quinn.

“Packaging of fragrance is a very important aspect of the fragrance’s overall design creativity for both the bottle itself and the outer packaging,” said Levy. “The bottle itself is a critical factor in the consumer’s decision to make a purchase.”

A full rundown of this year's Fragrance Foundation honors is available here.

Recyclable and Refillable

Recyclable and refillable glass bottles are growing in popularity among fragrance brands. Lolita Lempicka’s Lolita Lempicka Le Parfum is back in the US at Macy’s. Its fragrance has been freshened is encased in a “Forbidden Apple” recyclable bottle. Launched in 1998, it attracted a cult following. Fans were driven by its bewitching blend of gourmand elements that created a feminine counterpoint to the clean, aquatic scents of the day, intact is its signature apple-shaped bottle that makes it ripe for the picking on department store shelves.

“Lolita Lempicka has gone extra lengths to make sure packaging is minimizing the impact on the environment,” said Cheryl Krakow, a sales contact with the brand.

She added that the brand updated all of its packaging in 2019 to be environmentally friendly.

“All of the boxes and sleeves are derived from recycled materials. There’s no plastic within any of the boxes including  gift sets,” Krakow said.

While many competitors’ gift sets include plastic inserts, Lolita Lempicka has, in recent years, eliminated the material and replaced with recycled cardboard.

The Harmonist is another brand that aligns its sustainable ingredient ethos with its packaging. The brand, whose scents merge the savoir-faire of Paris with the modernism and storytelling of Los Angeles, uses recyclable and refillable glass bottles. The Harmonist’s fragrances are protected by a glass bottle inspired by ancient Chinese apothecary vessels. The balance of thickness, weight and durability allows for continued use and replenishment with its refills without sacrificing its elegance, according to the company. Summer favorites from the brand include Yin Transformation, Hypnotizing Fire, Moon Glory, Magnetic Wood and Sun Force, which range in price from $250-$350.

Recyclable elements in fragrance packaging are growing more popular in other fragrance formats. Michelle Pfeiffer’s Henry Rose body sprays are Leaping Bunny and Environmental Working Group certified. The sprays are available in three scent variants—Blonde Barry, Mustang Sally and Boys of Summer. All are packaged in 100% recyclable aluminum cans with secondary packaging made from recycled paper. Secondary canisters are 100% compostable and recyclable. ABA Packaging’s Director of Business Development Michael Warford calls aluminum “one of the most sought-after packaging materials for recycling” and among the only materials in the industrial waste stream that “more than pays for its own recycling.”

ABA, which represents most of the world’s major fragrance glass manufacturers, has aluminum bottles that feature threaded necks to enable refills.

Travel-Friendly Packaging

Travel has returned. In fact, “revenge travel” exceeds pre-pandemic levels this summer. No surprise that consumers are keen on travel-friendly packaging, especially when it comes to smelling sophisticated and fresh. Travel-friendly properties and a growing demand of organic products have propelled the solid perfume market, according to ResearchAndMarkets.com. Many beauty brands that make solid fragrances, including Jo Malone, Lush and Le Labo.

Travel-friendly packaging makes it easy to bring scents along without spills or leaks. What more, Jo Malone’s Fragrance Combining Palette holds two solid scents which can be mixed together for a custom scent and is refillable.

John Shen, CEO, APR Beauty Group, which offers a wide range of highly renewable, carbon-neutral bamboo caps for fragrance bottles, calls refillable options packaging’s future.

“Refillable options maintain a luxury feel, while refill cartridges require minimal materials—this is the future of packaging,” he said.

Eco-Friendly Glass Bottles

Luigi Bormioli Corporation, an Italian glass manufacturer, offers perfume glass bottles made with post-consumer recycled glass (PCR) as high as 15%. The manufacturer used an “inside lacquering technique” to produce the red stiletto-shaped fragrance bottle Very Good Girl by Carolina Herrera. In this technique, the bottle is coated with a water-based lacquer that vitrifies at roughly 600°C to yield a satin finish on the package’s surface. The end result yields zero emissions of volatile organic compounds or toxic waste, and lower environmental impact.

Another brand producing clean fragrances and eco-friendly packaging is Skylar Clean Beauty. In collaboration with Coverpla, bottles are designed for disassembly: the pump can be unscrewed so that the bottle and cap can be recycled separately.

Sustainable innovations are prevalent throughout the personal care industry. Some experts say the dispensing industry is moving toward mono-material pumps. In 2021, Aptar launched Future, its first fully recyclable mono-material pump.

Future is certified by Cyclos-HTP, the institute for Recyclability and Product Responsibility, and recognized “A” by RecyClass—a comprehensive cross-industry initiative that works to establish a harmonized recycling approach and traceability in Europe. Marc Prieur, president, Aptar Beauty + Home, said Future reflects the company’s commitment to a more circular economy.

Packaging will play a critical role in the future, as fast-moving consumer goods companies fine tune their sustainability goals.