Sustainability improvement in luxury packaging: a case study in Giorgio Armani and Helena Rubinstein brands

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Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Perustieteiden korkeakoulu | Master's thesis

Date

2020-08-18

Department

Major/Subject

Advanced Materials for Innovation and Sustainability

Mcode

SCI3083

Degree programme

Master’s Programme in Advanced Materials for Innovation and Sustainability

Language

en

Pages

49

Series

Abstract

Luxury and sustainability are often perceived as contradictory. Luxury packaging are even more pointed at, being associated with waste or overconsumption. In this context, companies, pushed by new consumer generation and regulations, set up strong corporate social responsibility. For cosmetic companies, packaging eco-design is the major vehicle to reduce their environmental impact. This thesis aims to propose solutions to improve the environmental impact of Armani and Helena Rubinstein packaging, luxury brands from L’Oréal. By studying cosmetics and packaging regulations, eco-design principle and the company’s own guidelines toward sustainability, the goal is to help both brands to comply with all relevant sustainability commitments, with a focus on recyclability. Based on the ten golden rules for eco-design established by the company, we will understand what are the main challenges when improving a product sustainability. Then, by understanding sorting and recycling centers running, we will list potential disruptors cosmetic packaging can present, in order to build a flowchart of recyclability. For both plastic and glass packaging, this flowchart will help product developers to assess the recyclability of their products and quantify their progress in recyclability commitments. As a result, we learned that luxury packaging sustainable improvement often involves aesthetic changes. It is challenging to make those changes validated by the marketing, because it affects consumer perception of the product. To make eco-design better applied, it would be useful to find greener solution to propose, without affecting consumer perception. Regarding product recyclability, it was not possible to build an universal flowchart, since recycling facilities vary from a country to another. However, the tool permits to get an idea of the main disruptors encountered on luxury cosmetic packaging.

Description

Supervisor

Kähkönen, Elina

Thesis advisor

Bruneau-Demousseau, Estelle

Keywords

sustainability, packaging, luxury, recyclability

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