Green cosmetics packaging

Green cosmetics packaging (Green Package) can also be called pollution-free packaging and environmental friendly packaging (Environmental Friendly Package), which refers to packaging that is harmless to the ecological environment and human health, can be reused and regenerated, and meets sustainable development.

Its philosophy has two meanings: one is to protect the environment, and the other is to save resources. The two complement each other and are inseparable. The protection of the environment is the core, and resource conservation and environmental protection are closely related, because saving resources can reduce waste, which is actually the protection of the environment from the source.

From a technical point of view, green cosmetics packaging refers to a kind of environmentally friendly packaging that is developed with natural plants and related minerals as raw materials that is harmless to the ecological environment and human health, is conducive to recycling, is easy to degrade, and is sustainable. That is to say, the entire life cycle of its packaging products, from raw material selection, product manufacturing to use and disposal, should meet the requirements of ecological and environmental protection, and the three aspects of green cosmetics packaging and packaging materials, packaging design and vigorous development of the green cosmetics packaging and packaging industry should be developed. Start with the realization of green cosmetics packaging and packaging.



Specifically, green cosmetics packaging should have the following meanings:

1) Implement packaging reduction (Reduce). The packaging of green cosmetics should be a moderate packaging with the least amount under the condition of satisfying the functions of protection, convenience, and sales. Countries such as Europe and the United States list packaging reduction as the first choice for the development of harmless packaging.

2) The packaging should be easy to reuse (Reuse) or easy to recycle (Recycle). Through repeated use, or through recycling of waste, production of recycled products, incineration and utilization of heat energy, composting to improve soil and other measures to achieve the purpose of reuse. It neither pollutes the environment, but also makes full use of resources.

3) Packaging waste can be degradable. In order not to form permanent garbage, packaging waste that cannot be recycled must be decomposed and decomposed to achieve the purpose of improving the soil. All industrialized countries in the world attach importance to the development and utilization of biological or photodegradable packaging materials. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Degradable are the 3R and 1D principles recognized in the 21st century for the development of green cosmetic packaging.

4) Packaging materials should be non-toxic and harmless to humans and organisms. Packaging materials should not contain toxic substances or the content of toxic substances should be controlled below the relevant standards.

5) During the entire life cycle of packaged products, there should be no environmental pollution or public hazards. That is to say, the whole life process of packaging products from raw material collection, material processing, manufacturing products, product use, waste recycling, and final disposal should not cause public hazards to the human body and the environment.

Among the above meanings of green cosmetics packaging, the first four points should be the requirements that green cosmetics packaging and packaging must have, and the last point is the ideal and highest requirement for green cosmetics packaging and packaging based on life cycle assessment and from the viewpoint of system engineering. . From the above analysis, green cosmetics packaging packaging can be defined as: green cosmetics packaging packaging is an appropriate packaging that can be recycled, reused, or degraded, and does not cause pollution to the human body and the environment during the entire life cycle of the product.


The reason why green cosmetics packaging and packaging has attracted the attention of the entire international community is because of the special complexity of environmental problems and pollution. Environmental damage does not distinguish between borders. Pollution in one country and damage to neighboring countries not only endanger the survival of ordinary people and society. The health of the country, the production of enterprises, and the prosperity of the market have also triggered international disputes over natural resources through various channels. The necessity and positive significance of green cosmetics packaging are mainly reflected in:

Packaging Green cosmetics packaging can reduce environmental pollution and maintain ecological balance

If a large number of non-degradable plastics are used in packaging, permanent garbage will be formed. The burning of plastic waste will produce a large amount of harmful gases, including the production of aromatic hydrocarbons that are easily carcinogenic; if a large amount of wood is used in packaging, it will destroy the ecological balance. Adopt green cosmetics packaging to protect the environment and maintain ecological balance.

Green cosmetics packaging and packaging conforms to the needs of international environmental development trends

Driven by the consumption wave of green cosmetics packaging, more and more consumers tend to choose green cosmetics packaging products that are not harmful to the environment. Products that are packaged in green cosmetics packaging and have the green cosmetics packaging logo are more likely to be accepted by foreign investors in foreign trade.

Green cosmetics packaging is a requirement of WTO and related trade agreements

The 'Trade and Environment Agreement' in the WTO package has prompted companies from all countries to produce products and packaging that meet environmental requirements.

Green cosmetics packaging is one of the important ways to bypass new trade barriers

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has formulated the corresponding standard ISO14000 for the environment, which has become an important non-tariff barrier in international trade. In addition, the European Community officially launched the 'European Environmental Label' in May 1993. The European Community’s imported goods must apply to its allies if they want to obtain the green cosmetics packaging mark. Products without the green cosmetics packaging mark will be subject to entry into the above-mentioned countries. Great limitation.

Green cosmetics packaging is the only way to promote the sustainable development of the packaging industry

Sustainable development requires that economic development must follow the intensive mode of 'less input, more output'. Green cosmetics packaging and packaging can promote the coordinated development of resource utilization and the environment.


The packaging of green cosmetics originated from 'Our Common Future' published by the United Nations Commission on Environment and Development in 1987. By June 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development passed the 'Rio Declaration on Environment and Development' and 'Agenda 21'. A wave of green cosmetics packaging with the protection of the ecological environment as the core has been set off around the world. According to people's understanding of the concept of green cosmetics packaging and packaging at the same level, the development of green cosmetics packaging and packaging can be divided into three stages.

The first stage: From the 1970s to the mid-1980s, 'Packaging Waste Recycling and Disposal' said that at this stage, simultaneous collection and treatment, reducing the environmental pollution of packaging waste is the main direction. During this period, the earliest decree issued was the 'Military Packaging Waste Disposal Standards' of the United States in 1973, and the Danish legislation in 1984 focused on the recycling of packaging materials for beverage packaging. China also promulgated the 'Disposal and Utilization of Packaging Waste' in 1996.

The second stage: from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, '3R, 1D' said. At this stage, the US Environmental Protection Agency put forward three opinions on packaging waste. ① Reduce packaging as much as possible, and use less or less packaging; ② Recycle commodity packaging containers as much as possible; ③ Use biodegradable materials for materials and containers that cannot be recycled. At the same time, many European countries have also proposed their own packaging laws and regulations, emphasizing that packaging manufacturers and users must pay attention to the coordination of packaging and the environment.

The third stage: the 'LCA' theory in the mid to late 1990s. LCA (Life Cycle Analysis), the 'life cycle analysis' method. It is called the 'cradle to grave' analysis technology. It takes the entire process of packaging products from the extraction of raw materials to the final waste disposal as the research object, and conducts quantitative analysis and comparison to evaluate the environmental performance of the packaging products. The comprehensive, systematic and scientific nature of this method has been valued and recognized by people, and it exists as an important subsystem in ISO14000.

Green cosmetics packaging is divided into A-level and AA-level. A-level green cosmetics packaging refers to appropriate packaging in which waste can be recycled, reused, or degraded, and contains toxic substances within the prescribed limits. AA-grade green cosmetics packaging refers to appropriate packaging in which waste can be recycled, reused, or degraded, and does not cause public hazards to the human body and the environment during the entire life cycle of the product, and contains toxic substances within the prescribed limits.

The above classification is mainly to consider the first solution to the problem of waste after packaging. This is a pollution problem in the process of environmental protection in all countries in the world, and it is a problem that needs continuous attention and resolution.

Attachment: The impact of packaging waste on the ecological environment

〖Packaging waste damage to the urban natural environment〗

The pollution caused by packaging waste to the city occupies a large share of the total pollution. Relevant statistics show that the discharge of packaging waste accounts for about 1/3 of the weight of urban solid waste and 1/2 of the volume. For example, in China, the proportion of municipal solid waste is 15% of its weight and 25% of its volume. Based on this, the implementation of green cosmetics packaging is an inevitable trend in the overall development of world packaging. Whoever recognizes this first will be in an active position and invincible in the future world packaging market competition.

〖Packaging waste's harm to human health and loss of natural resources〗

With the increasing scale of the packaging industry, disposable plastic packaging materials are widely used. Once materials such as portable plastic bags and disposable foam lunch boxes are discarded by people, a large amount of difficult to handle garbage is formed. The 'white pollution' on railways, highways, streets and lanes is very serious. When the breeze blows, packaging paper, plastic and other packaging wastes with various germs blow with the wind, blowing various germs into thousands of households and seriously endangering people’s lives. Good health, the high prevalence of respiratory diseases in the world has a great relationship with the large amount of solid waste discharge. In order to ensure the health of all mankind, the world is eagerly calling for the development of green cosmetics packaging.

The waste and loss of natural resources caused by packaging waste is also a concern. According to a prudent report made by the American Midwest Research Institute on the packaging industry from 1958 to 1966, the annual consumption of packaging materials per person in the United States increased from 183kg in 1958 to 238kg in 1966, which cost the American public. 25 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for 3.4% of the country's total output value at that time, about 90% of the 23,503 tons of packaging materials in 1966 were thrown away solid packaging waste and garbage, of which packaging paper accounted for 42%. If every ton of waste paper is re-profitable, 17 trees used as raw materials for papermaking can be offset. Based on this, protecting the blue sky, clear water and green cosmetics packaging resources has become a common goal pursued by human life.


In 1975, the world's first green cosmetics packaging 'Green Cosmetics Packaging' logo came out in Germany. The 'green dot' logo of the world's first green cosmetics packaging is a circular pattern composed of green cosmetics packaging arrows and white arrows. The text above is composed of German DERGRNEPONKT, which means 'green dot'.

The two-color arrow with a green dot indicates that the product or packaging is green cosmetics packaging, which can be recycled and meets the requirements of ecological balance and environmental protection. In 1977, the German government launched the 'Blue Angel' green cosmetics packaging environmental label, awarding products with environmentally friendly characteristics of green cosmetics packaging, including packaging. The 'Blue Angel' logo is composed of an inner ring and an outer ring. The inner ring is a blue wreath composed of the United Nations laurel wreath. In the middle is a blue little angel hugging the earth-like pattern, which means people embrace the earth. Above the outer ring is the German circulation logo, and below the outer ring is the name of the German product category.

After Germany used the 'environmental label', many countries have also begun to implement environmental labels for product packaging. Such as Canada’s 'Maple Leaf Logo', Japan’s 'Care for the Earth', America’s 'Nature-Friendly' and certification system, China’s 'Environmental Label', the European Community’s 'European Flower', Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, etc. The 'white swan' of the Nordic countries, the 'green cosmetics packaging logo' of Singapore, the 'environmental choice' of New Zealand, the 'ecological products' of Portugal, etc.

In June 1993, the International Organization for Standardization established the 'Environmental Management Technical Committee' (TC207), which formulated a set of environmental management standards like quality management. As of 2006, the TC207 committee has formulated some standards (such as ISO14000) and issued them for implementation. The business and packaging industries in the United States have implemented the ISO14000 standard one after another, and formulated related 'environmental report cards' to assess the life cycle of packaging and improve the environmental management system of packaging companies. Japan established an environmental audit and certification organization in October 1994. The European Community put forward the 'European Environmental Management and Environmental Audit' in March 1993, and it was implemented in April 1995. After entering the 21st century, some Chinese enterprises have also begun to implement the ISO14000 series of standards, but compared with foreign countries, there is still a certain gap.


Green cosmetics packaging design generally follows the so-called 3R principles, namely Reduce (reduce packaging), Reuse (reuse packaging), and Recycle (recycle packaging and bury and dispose of).

Start with packaging materials

1. Reusable and recycled packaging materials

The land and forests are the foundation of human ecological balance, and the disaster caused by the wanton logging of timber to human society is immeasurable. In view of this situation, people can consider the use of reusable and recyclable packaging materials, such as beer, beverages, soy sauce, vinegar and other packaging that use glass bottles for repeated use. After recycling, polyester bottles can be recycled in some ways. Recycling packaging can be regenerated in two ways. The physical method refers to directly and thoroughly purified and crushed without any residual pollutants, and the treated plastic is directly used in the reclaimed packaging container. The chemical method means that after the recycled PET (polyester film) is crushed and washed, under the action of a catalyst, the PET is completely depolymerized into monomers or partially depolymerized, and then the monomers are re-polymerized into recycled packaging materials after purification. The reuse and regeneration of packaging materials only prolongs the service life of plastics and other polymer materials as packaging materials. When their service life is reached, they still face the problems of waste disposal and environmental pollution.

2. Edible packaging materials

〖Edible packaging film〗

This is a good way to solve the contradiction between food packaging waste and environmental protection. In the design of partial food packaging, an edible packaging film that does not affect the original flavor of the food can be made. By the 21st century, many countries in the world have developed many kinds of packaging. For example, a company in Australia has developed an edible potato chip packaging that people can eat after eating potato chips. Another example is a British company that has made an edible fruit and vegetable preservative. It is a translucent emulsion formulated from sugar, starch, fatty acid and polyester. It can be covered by spraying, brushing or dipping. The surface of apples, oranges, watermelons, bananas, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables. Since this preservative forms a layer of sealing film on the surface of the fruit, it can prevent oxygen from entering the interior of the fruits and vegetables, thereby prolonging the ripening process and playing a role in preservation. The preservation period of fruits and vegetables coated with this preservative can be more than 200 days . The best part is that this preservative can also be eaten with fruits and vegetables.

The glutinous rice paper used on the familiar candy packaging and the corn baking cup for ice cream are all typical edible packaging. The more mature synthetic edible packaging film is a transparent, colorless, odorless, non-toxic, flexible, and highly oil-resistant film that can be edible and can be used for food packaging. Its gloss, strength, and folding resistance are relatively good.


Use packaging design patterns and colors to arouse people's awareness of environmental protection

The pattern and color of the product packaging do not seem to have much to do with environmental protection, but it directly affects the visual experience of consumers. If some environmental protection signs and environmental pictures are deliberately attached to the packaging, it will stimulate consumers’ brains. , To remind consumers not to throw away packaging waste. The pictures on some packages often use beautiful landscape pictures, which can not only give people a visual enjoyment, but also enhance consumers' environmental awareness.


1. Use recycled materials

Choosing recycled materials can not only increase the utilization rate of packaging materials and reduce production costs, but also save a lot of energy and reduce the consumption of other resources, while reducing emissions to the environment.

2. Choose recyclable materials

Choosing packaging materials with good recycling and reuse properties is one of the effective ways to achieve green cosmetics packaging. Polyvinylphthalate (PET) is a recyclable, clean, high-quality plastic packaging, often used in beverage packaging, and Procter & Gamble (P&G) also uses it to package household cleaners.

3. Use degradable materials

Degradability means that packaging waste that is not recyclable must be decomposed and decomposed and returned to nature or ecology within a certain period of time.

4. Try to use the same packaging material

Try to use the same packaging material as much as possible, and avoid the use of multi-layer packaging composed of different materials to reduce the separation of packaging materials of different materials and improve the recycling and reuse performance of packaging materials.

5. Minimize packaging materials. On the premise of satisfying packaging protection, aesthetics, convenience, and sales, minimize the use of packaging materials.

Reducing the use of materials not only means reducing raw material costs and processing and manufacturing costs, but also may mean reducing transportation and sales costs, as well as recycling and disposal costs after packaging is discarded.

6. Avoid excessive packaging

Excessive packaging is of no use to consumers. When the packaging is reduced, the consumer's usage habits and the appearance of the product must also be considered, and some packaging must provide enough space to indicate various information about the product.

7. Reusable and refilled packaging

Reused and refilled packaging can increase the service life of product packaging, thereby reducing the environmental impact of its disposal. At the same time, it is necessary to consider the cost of packaging and cleaning, as well as the impact on the environment; it is necessary to establish a corresponding refilling network and system.

8. Optimized design of packaging structure

The packaging of green cosmetics is realized through the structural design of the packaging. By changing the packaging shape, the product transportation is more convenient for the convenience of transportation.

9. Improve product structure and packaging. By improving the structure and form of the product, the goal of improving the strength of the product structure is achieved.


China's packaging industry has grown from scratch for more than ten years and has made remarkable achievements from small to large, but there is still a certain gap compared with advanced countries in the world, especially in packaging technology and packaging equipment application level and packaging design mode And conceptual aspects.

In the 21st century, packaging organizations all over the world are actively working towards the direction required by international environmental organizations, such as the introduction of new environmental packaging ISO14000 and other standards and regulations. In contrast, China's national environmental protection packaging has lagged one step behind, and the domestic production capacity of environmental protection packaging materials is still very low. China's research on environmental protection packaging should focus on the practical application of environmental protection packaging.

Since the 1980s, 'green cosmetics packaging food', 'green cosmetics packaging apparel', 'green cosmetics packaging refrigerator', and 'green cosmetics packaging car' have set off a huge wave of green cosmetics packaging worldwide. . The annual per capita consumption of packaging materials in foreign countries is more than 100 kg, 50 kg in the United States, 200 kg in Japan, 90 kg in Germany, 80 kg in the Commonwealth of Independent States, and 30 kg in China. In contrast, the annual per capita consumption of packaging materials in China is relatively low, but China has a population of 1.3 billion, so the annual consumption of packaging materials is quite large. The recycling and reuse of two-piece and three-piece cans in the processing of aluminum cans in China is still quite prominent. China has not done enough in the packaging design of green cosmetics. The packaging design of green cosmetics still needs more development in China.

Folding countermeasures
Actively develop green cosmetics packaging materials

The packaging materials of export commodities can only be allowed to be imported into the importing country if they meet the regulations of the importing country, otherwise the customs of the importing country will not release it. Many countries restrict or enforce mandatory supervision and management of the packaging materials of imported goods in the form of regulations. For example, the United States stipulates that imported goods must not be packed with straw, otherwise they will be forcibly burned. The Xinxi Temple Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries stipulates that the packaging of imported goods must not be hay, straw, bamboo mats, etc.

To this end, China has done a lot of work. One is to avoid the use of toxic materials. The pigments, dyes, paints, etc. used on the packaging containers or labels should be made of materials that do not contain heavy metals. As the adhesive of the joining material, it should not contain toxic or toxic ingredients, and should be easy to decompose during separation. The second is to use recycled materials as much as possible. Most of the recyclable materials used internationally are recycled paper, recycled cardboard boxes, molded pulp, paperboard and paper tubes made from waste paper. The third is to actively develop plant packaging materials. Plants can basically continue to reproduce and reproduce, and the large-scale use of plants generally does not cause harm to the environment, ecological balance and maintenance of resources, and is favored by the international packaging market. The fourth is to use a single packaging material. In this way, the material can be disassembled without using special tools, and the recycling and separation time can be saved, and the difficulty of recycling and separation caused by the use of bonding methods can be avoided.

Move closer to the world in terms of environmental labels

The ISO14000 environmental management system international standard stipulates that any country can refuse to import products that do not meet the standard, so that products that do not meet the standard are excluded from international trade. China's environmental labeling system has fewer products, far from meeting the needs of foreign trade development. Only by following this international trend and adopting active and effective means to catch up can fundamentally protect China's foreign trade interests. While typical leading the way, popularize this standard system. In addition, international environmental standards should be studied as early as possible, and the international standards can be transformed into national standards through administrative legislative procedures and promoted nationwide. Domestic supporting regulations related to the international standards should also be formulated as soon as possible.

Packaging design should highlight the connotation of environmental protection

Designers must investigate the specific requirements of the international market for environmentally friendly packaging, such as exporting countries' regulations on environmentally friendly packaging, the depth of consumer awareness of environmentally friendly consumption, green cosmetics packaging organization activities, environmentally friendly packaging development trends, etc., in order to fully consider these when designing packaging factor. In addition, environmental protection marketing signs should be considered in packaging design. This kind of sign is different from environmental signs and can be designed by manufacturers, suppliers or wholesalers to indicate that a certain product has a specific environmental quality in order to obtain consumers. To achieve the purpose of expanding marketing.


As a 'sunrise industry', the packaging industry will definitely play an important role in the development of the global manufacturing industry and the international circulation of its products.

China's packaging industry has grown from an output value of less than 10 billion yuan in the early 1980s to 410 billion yuan in 2005, after the United States and Japan, it has become the world's third largest packaging country. At present, China's packaging industry is at a critical moment of transition and upgrading, and has experienced a development process from small to large. It will take another 20 years to build China into a world packaging power.

With the rapid development of China’s economy and the improvement of people’s quality of life, the demand for microwave food, snack food and frozen food and other convenience foods will continue to increase, which will directly drive the demand for related food packaging. China’s food and packaging machinery industry in the future Will maintain positive growth for a long period of time. It is expected that in the future circular economy will become the main mode of development of the packaging industry, the recycling of waste packaging resources will be industrialized, green cosmetics packaging materials will be vigorously developed and developed, and the basic packaging industry will also accelerate development.


Green cosmetics packaging materials are getting more and more attention from businesses, and it is more and more important to develop new environmentally friendly green cosmetics packaging materials. PACKMAKE is relatively mature in the development of using pure natural materials as packaging materials for green cosmetics. For example, using leaves and bark as packaging materials, using waste newspapers to process qualitatively as shock-absorbing fillers in packaging boxes, using polymer technology to process and transform PVC waste, etc., to improve synthetic leather and reduce the application of leather leather.