Biodegradable packaging

I looked at plant-based plastic alternatives but they can take up to 100 years to biodegrade, and some only degrade when returned to the place of manufacture and treated with chemicals.

As you can see in the table its not just the composition of the packaging, but how it is processed. Glass can be recycled indefinitely in theory, but is a heavy user of energy to manufacture.

Sadly most of our cosmetic packaging goes into landfill – 10 Tonne per year (check).

I wanted a solution that was easy for customers – a solution that didn’t require you to think about it – which bin does this go in?? And will it be recycle or end up on landfill anyway? 5cm pieces, mixed materials.

I am not using pumps or sprayers as the mixed materials make them landfill

o   Story gap – 10,000 tons of waste into landfill in Aust each year from cosmetics.

o   The ugly truth about tonnes of beauty waste

o   Because beauty packaging are not generally accepted in kerbside recycling

o   Too small to be sorted at a regular facility

o   Often contain mixed materials such as metal and plastic, or bamboo and plastic

o   Difficult to recycle through normal processes

o   Not economically viable to recycle – there is no money to be made

o   How I came to my decision for current and future packaging