Three applications, one solution
Designed for demanding packaging tasks, the FPC5 from Theegarten-Pactec enables precise and efficient primary packaging in tubular bags.
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The Kao Salon Division aims to support the Kao Group's global sustainability goals with a sustainability strategy tailored specifically to the salon business. This involves both environmentally friendly formulations and sustainable packaging. Both aspects are now combined in the new Topchic Zero hair colour line.
The Japanese chemicals and cosmetics company Kao is represented worldwide with its products. In Europe, Kao is represented by its professional salon business alongside the consumer business and the British luxury cosmetics brand Molton Brown, whose global research and production is based in Darmstadt, Hesse. The best-known brand is Goldwell, which has now launched Topchic Zero, a new, all-round Sustainable hair colour line onto the market. The new product is made from predominantly natural ingredients, is vegan and almost completely biodegradable. Its Packaging even consists of up to 100 per cent recycled and recyclable packaging materials.
„We manufacture the tube from 100 per cent recycled aluminium, which has a considerably better energy balance than new aluminium,“ explains Manfred Lott, Director Packaging Development, Europe Research Laboratories at Kao. Packaging with a very good barrier. Plastic is generally not sufficient here in terms of barrier properties.“ Only the tube cap is made of PCR plastic material, but due to its small cross-section it has no negative impact on the barrier effect.
„The primary aim of all our packaging is to minimise the to reduce the amount of material used wherever possible“, says Lott. In this case, the folding carton has been particularly successful. Not only is it made of lightweight but sturdy cardboard from certified sources, but it also does without a package leaflet. „With products such as hair colourants, there is a wealth of information that is normally contained in the package leaflet. However, we have now printed with all this information on the inside of the folding cartons, thus saving around 25 per cent of material in.“ A special perforation ensures that the folding carton can be opened easily and unfolded completely - giving consumers all the information they need at a glance.
Keep all materials in the cycle
In addition to reducing packaging, the company is also concerned with recyclability. „Folding boxboard is known to be very easy to recycle, as is the aluminium tube. There are collection systems worldwide that help to keep the material in circulation. The recyclability of our packaging is therefore very important to us, but it must not compromise product quality. And, of course, sustainable packaging must also be easy to process on our machines,“ explains Manfred Lott. „However, our goal is to, no longer use packaging that cannot be recycled in the future. is. This is also what the EU wants with its planned Packaging Ordinance and we started developing solutions at an early stage.“
And the use of recyclate is also to be further increased. In the current case, this is Aluminium from post-consumer recyclate has already succeeded. „We also already use recycled PET in the plastics sector, which is readily available on the market. However, recycled PP and PE are now also being used more and more.“
In its sustainability strategy, Kao's salon business has set itself a number of goals, Produce half of its plastic-based packaging from recycled or bio-based materials by 2025. 80 per cent of all packaging should then be designed in such a way that it can be recycled. And secondary packaging will only be used if it is absolutely necessary - and if it is recyclable or made from recycled materials. At the production site for the global salon business in Darmstadt, Kao wants to minimise its CO2-emissions by 50 per cent compared to 2017. „Sustainability has been our core topic for several years now, in packaging development and beyond - not only because it is important for Kao as a company, but also because it is a customer requirement. Sustainability is playing an increasingly important role for our customers. And so we are focussing on the best possible compatibility of sustainability and function.“
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