French packaging specialist FaiveleyTech has developed packaging components made from the bio-based material ‘Sulapac Solid’ for the British lip care brand Yom Beauty. The company announced that the material is being used to produce a rounded lid and a spatula for the lip care product ‘The Pebble’. The uncoloured material used for this purpose consists entirely of bio-based raw materials and is said to be biodegradable without leaving any permanent microplastic residues. It also gives the lid a slightly pearlescent surface and feels similar to ceramic, the company said. The shape is inspired by Irish ‘wishing stones’, and the organic design feels natural and comfortable in the hand. The actual jar for the lip care product is made from food-grade glass.

Lid made from a single material

Another special feature is the lid’s seal, FaiveleyTech announced. For the first time, the company has also developed a seal made from Sulapac material. It is used without adhesive and without additional layers of polyethylene or polypropylene. The lid and seal thus form a single-material construction, which is intended to facilitate subsequent recycling once appropriate recycling streams for bio-based materials become available. Yom Beauty is also applying this approach to the product itself: according to the company, the lip care range uses only ingredients that are both suitable for cosmetic use and certified as food-grade. This means they are safe even if swallowed.

Bio-based material for injection moulding

Teams at the French site in Orgelet in the Jura Mountains were responsible for the entire technical development of the closure and application system, reports FaiveleyTech. The material Sulapac Solid was developed by the Finnish manufacturer Sulapac and can be processed by injection moulding in a similar way to conventional plastics. FaiveleyTech has been working with the company since 2018 and has used its materials for, amongst other things, high-quality packaging for Chanel and Shiseido. They are designed to replace plastics and leave no microplastics behind. FaiveleyTech has already processed more than 100 tonnes of various Sulapac materials to date, it was reported.

Source: FaiveleyTech