Hair Cosmetics Goes Green: Minimum Material Use, Maximum Impact

In today's consumer society, the packaging industry faces a major dilemma: how can sustainability be reconciled with the demands of a highly competitive market? This area of conflict will be addressed at FACHPACK 2024 in the presentation "Good for me. Good for our environment. Sustainability update from Guhl’. Sebastian Kraus, Associate Director Packaging Development at Kao Europe Research Laboratories, and Prof Dr Sven Sängerlaub from Munich University of Applied Sciences will discuss the latest developments. We asked Sebastian Kraus in advance.

Isn't customised product packaging a contradiction in terms? From a sustainability perspective, shouldn't packaging be more standardised?
Basically, you're right – standardisation is always an issue! This could certainly reduce complexity, costs and CO₂ emissions ...but at what cost? In the highly competitive market for consumer goods and hair cosmetic products, you have to stand your ground! Our philosophy on sustainability at Kao is to minimise the use of materials and maximise the proportion of recycled plastic! Our bottle and the moulds that produce the iconic Guhl bottle are not standard, but due to the long service life of this 3D mould with 100% recycled PET, this packaging – although not standard – can also be rated as very sustainable.

Consumers often make purchasing decisions unconsciously. What does this mean for the design of packaging?
Hand 100 people a white, undecorated bottle in the Guhl shape – and I guarantee that the majority will recognise it. The white background of the label makes the white brand block stand out from the colourful shampoo shelf. At Guhl, it's all about consumer trust in the brand – and that's what we try to gain and maintain.

There have been ‘unpackaged shops’ for years, with varying degrees of success. Is there no need for packaging for staple foods? Are there no impulse purchases there?
Staple foods that are bought fresh and consumed quickly, especially in urban centres, probably do not need packaging. But in our area of hair care products it is different. Think of the shampoo in your sports bag. The paper bottle also comes up again and again, but in the shower? Plastic is often portrayed in a very negative light, and unfortunately there are hardly any real alternatives. That's why we are focussing on recycled materials.

Why are print image, material, shape or haptic embossing so important for a brand?
A product is not just about its appearance. Of course it has to look good on the shelf. A bottle with a great feel that fits ergonomically in the hand and expresses value in the form of a rich ‘click’ feeling or even a sound when the cap is opened – all these details make a product look good and every consumer then subconsciously categorises it. In addition to the product experience, these subconscious details are very important, have an effect as a whole and are decisive for the decision to buy again or not.

Packaging materials have been heavily criticised for some time now. Plastics in particular are viewed very negatively. In your opinion, is there an optimal and sustainable packaging material for a wide range of uses – from food to screws in DIY stores?
I don't think much of biodegradable plastics in our western markets. There are no material flows and they are not compostable either. The energy content of any plastic packaging must be seen as a value. And this value can be preserved through recycling. We need to work on efficiency and also on the fact that other material streams may be created. There is no ‘all-rounder material’. You have to select the right material for the right application and the use of materials must be appropriate. This is the task of every packaging developer, who must guide the decision-makers of the respective brands.