Henkel is taking a further step towards promoting a circular economy. As part of its commitment to sustainable packaging, Henkel is introducing aluminium tubes for hair colourants made from 100 percent recycled material.
The fully recyclable aluminium tubes can be largely recycled via the existing waste disposal systems. With the changeover, which covers all retail and professional brands worldwide, Henkel is supporting a closed cycle while simultaneously reducing its ecological footprint: recycled aluminium has a significantly lower energy requirement - up to 95 percent less - than primary aluminium, so that a significant reduction in CO2-footprint per aluminium tube can be achieved.
Aluminium is a common material for the production of tubes for hair colourants, which on the one hand protect the product and on the other hand enable easy application by hairdressers and end consumers. The tubes must therefore meet high quality standards, which are also guaranteed when using recycled aluminium.
Availability of recycled aluminium is limited
Aluminium has high recycling rates worldwide, but the availability of recycled material is limited due to high demand in several industries - the material is also used in the production of beverage cans, for example. However, switching to recycled aluminium for applications that have short life cycles - such as consumer packaging - is an important step in reducing the overall footprint of fast-rotating packaging items. That's why Henkel is working with its packaging partners to break new ground and drive progress along the value chain: The company will not only use post-industrial recycled aluminium for the tubes, but will also integrate up to 95 percent recycled material from post-consumer sources, i.e. household waste collection.
Recycled plastic for the cap
In addition, Henkel will also gradually switch to recycled plastic for tube caps. This is particularly important with regard to the sorting processes for aluminium-based consumer packaging, as plastic components that are still attached to the aluminium packaging are generally not recycled and returned to the cycle in the sense of high-quality material recycling.
