Forewood: sustainable cosmetic closures made from wood

To round off the year, we once again present our most-clicked articles of 2021. 6th place: Wooden cosmetic caps

Rezemo specialises in the development and production of sustainable products. The raw material for this is available locally in large quantities - wood. After coffee capsules, the young company is now focussing on other products with the Forewood brand, such as for applications in the cosmetics industry.

After years of research together with research institutes, the Baden-Württemberg-based company Rezemo developed a special technology for processing sustainable materials. „We embed wood fibres in a biopolymer matrix, which consists entirely of renewable raw materials. Processing this material using the injection moulding process enables us to produce complex thin-walled closure applications for cosmetics packaging, for example,“ explains Jonas Wurster, Business Development Manager.

In combination with bioplastics, sustainable and 100 per cent bio-based applications are produced that can be returned to nature after use. „And all of this is ‚Made in Germany‘ in our local and climate-friendly injection moulding production in Waiblingen.“

Marketable wood-based materials

The two founders Julian Reitze and Stefan Zender initially launched sustainable coffee capsules made from wood fibres and PLA on the market in 2016. Together with the Fraunhofer Institute IPA and the University of Stuttgart, the market launch was preceded by extensive injection moulding tests. Today, they have extensive expertise in this area.

„Under the Rezemo brand, we have optimised sustainable materials in terms of various properties with the ‚coffee capsule made of wood‘ and proven their marketability. Since the beginning of 2021, we have now been offering our wood-based material under the technology brand Forewood for other customers who are looking for a sustainable solution for their packaging projects.“ Julian Reitze, co-founder Rezemo

The first lids for cosmetics packaging have just been as prototypes produced. Discussions are already underway with manufacturers and the first product will soon be launched on the market.

The young company now wants to offer customers an all-round carefree package from a single source. The Forewood material can be specifically customised to the application and the respective requirements. Product designs are then created and 3D printing using rapid prototyping implemented. „We take care of toolmaking for injection moulding and implement series production at our plant in Waiblingen. From the initial idea to the ready-for-sale product, we take care of every step in the value chain.“

PEFC Special Sustainability Award for Forewood

Forewood materials are food compliant and can be processed on standard injection moulding machines. The wood fibres used come from PEFC-certified forests in southern Germany. This even earned the start-up the PEFC special prize for sustainability at the German Packaging Award in 2020.

With Forewood, the company is also taking a new approach: producing 100 per cent natural products that are be returned to nature after use and leave no microplastics behind. Julian Reitze: „As recycling often fails in practice, we are shifting the focus from the disposal side to the ingredient side. What if it is no longer relevant where packaging ends up, but what it is made of? Simply put, if only natural raw materials are used to manufacture product packaging, then only natural materials remain. No fossil raw materials, no microplastics and therefore no disposal problem.“