Olay has become the first major global skincare brand to test refillable packaging in an attempt to reduce plastic waste.
The brand, owned by the consumer goods company Procter & Gamble, will sell each jar of its Regenerist Whip moisturiser with a recyclable refill pod that can be placed inside the container. They will be sold and shipped in a container made of recycled paper rather than cardboard, and without a cellophane wrapping.
The three-month trial, which will start in the US and the UK in October, was announced in the same week that Waitrose unveiled a trial that aims to encourage shoppers to ditch unnecessary packaging. The supermarket will provide dispensers of products for customers to refill their own containers and sell loose fruit and vegetables without plastic wrapping and boxes.
Anitra Marsh, Procter & Gamble’s associate director of brand communications, said: “The ultimate goal is to find and adopt many more sustainable packaging solutions, and the refillable package is the first step of that journey. It’s important for us to get it right because only then can we bring this concept to market at scale.”
Much of the waste in skincare was the result of consumers buying products they did not use, she said.
“We call this ‘the skincare graveyard’, which often goes to landfill. If we can get each woman or man the right regimen for his or her specific skincare needs, we will also reduce the amount of waste.”
Product refills in the beauty sector have so far been driven by luxury and niche brands, including Rituals for body cream and L’Occitane for body cleanser. On the high street, Lush is expanding its range of solid shampoos and skincare, including facial oils, cleansing balms and an eye mask, without the excessive plastic packaging that comes with the usual “cleanse, tone, moisturise” routine.
