Next generation of sustainable packaging for Danish skincare scale-up

Abstract: The Cosmetic packaging industry is on the rise and through consumer demand, cosmetic companies are increasing their focus on sustainability and accountability. This has left many companies in need of a deeper understanding regarding the environmental impact of their current packaging solutions as well as how to improve their footprint in the future. This thesis addresses these points by providing a life cycle assessment (LCA) of five chosen materials; polypropylene, high-density polyethylene, polylactide, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and aluminium. Due to the differences in physical properties and production methods, the plastics will be modelled as an airless dispenser and the aluminium as a tube with screw cap. Stand-alone environmental footprints as well as comparative results are provided with a discussion and analysis of sensitive parameters (weight, recycled content, recycling rate). The report has found that for the defined base case of 0\% recycled content and current Swedish recycling statistics, polypropylene is the best option. Further, the thesis shows how even smaller changes in the sensitive parameters drastically alter the environmental impact of the materials, emphasizing the importance of always including these parameters into packaging material discussions. This conclusion is of significance due to the lack of nuance that many companies experience when making sustainability decisions. Finally, the report has also provided a framework for working with LCA's in the form of a methodology and a model in the LCA software, OpenLCA. The report is done in collaboration with the Danish skincare company, NØIE.