Würzburg (ots) – The Kneipp brand has set ambitious goals for the sustainability of its packaging. In addition to the use of bio-based materials, the focus is on the functioning of packaging cycles. To actively advance the recycling processes of body care packaging, the company is breaking new ground and is cooperating with Berlin-based start-up Circleback. Together with other partners, they are working on creating a warehouse system based on the example of the beverage industry.
For the Würzburg company Kneipp, the cooperation with the Berlin start-up Circleback represents a future-oriented foundation for optimizing its own packaging cycles. “It’s becoming more and more challenging to get enough recycled material for our packaging,” explains Philipp Keil, Kneipp’s head of packaging materials management. “Currently, not enough high quality recycled material is obtained from the existing recycling system through the yellow bag to be able to use it to produce packaging for the body care industry in general. That is why we as cooperation partners from the very beginning, have actively supported Circleback’s approach of establishing their own deposit system for bathroom products. The idea of transferring already-learned structures from the beverage industry to body care products is a great one and can have a signaling effect on our entire industry,” Keil continued.
With its innovative deposit system for shower gel, bath additives or cream packaging, Circleback is working together with Kneipp and other cosmetics industry partners to bring cosmetic packaging into a closed loop. “Plastic packaging is a valuable resource that has been underutilized,” said Brett Dickey, founder of Circleback. So far, only small amounts of plastic from the yellow bag have been recycled into equivalent packaging. The bags contain a lot of contaminated plastic, requiring large amounts of plastic to be incinerated. “With our deposit system, we want to give all consumers the opportunity to support the real circular economy with their actions.”
The pilot project will begin this six-month period, initially at the Edeka Moch at ALEXA in Berlin. Customers can return empty cosmetics and personal care packages to the Circleback dispensing machine. They receive up to 20 cents per package through the Circleback app. In turn, Kneipp and the participating partner brands receive the recycled content of their packaging. The system is based on the state deposit system for beverage bottles, which guarantees a recycling rate of over 90%. The objective is to implement a national system for depositing plastic bathroom packaging.
Plastic packaging market volume for cosmetics and personal care products continues to grow
Most cosmetic and personal care products are packaged in plastic. Analysts at market research institute Ceresana predict that the market volume of plastic packaging for precisely these products in Europe will increase to around 28.9 billion by 2026. In view of the protection of natural resources and the ecological consequences of plastic waste , a fundamental industry shift towards more sustainable packaging and an optimized circular economy is needed. As one of the leading companies in the field of bath and body care products, Kneipp has set a goal of making all packaging completely recyclable by 2023. 75% of all Kneipp packaging is already recyclable.
In addition, Kneipp focuses on innovative, bio-based packaging materials. “For example, we are already using the cork and paper blend as the packaging material for our lip care series. By 2025, we want to completely replace plastic with more sustainable packaging solutions. Here, too, a separate deposit system for body care packaging offers great potential for integrating new, as yet undiscovered materials into a recycling system,” emphasizes Keil.
Detailed information on these and other sustainability activities can be found at kneipp.world/sustainability
About Kneipp
For 130 years, the traditional Kneipp® brand has been synonymous with effective, innovative and natural products for wellness and health based on the holistic teachings of Sebastian Kneipp. Naturopathic knowledge and pharmaceutical expertise, the latest production processes and careful scientific controls ensure the quality of Kneipp products that have been tested and proven for generations. The Kneipp Group, based in Würzburg, operates worldwide with almost 700 employees, including around 500 in Germany, and is a 100% subsidiary of PAUL HARTMANN AG, Heidenheim.
About Circleback
Circleback is a Berlin-based startup that aims to create a closed loop for plastic packaging through a deposit system, giving cosmetics and toiletries manufacturers access to high-quality recycled plastic from their own packaging. After entering the cosmetics packaging market, Circleback sees potential for expansion to other European countries, but also to other types of packaging that can use the same infrastructure. Circleback was founded in 2021.
Questions and contact:
Kneipp GmbH
Corporate Public Relations: Simone Eschenbach
Winterhaeuser Str. 85, 97084 Würzburg
Email: [email protected]