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Everything you need to know about sustainable packaging at Skins

Sustainability isn’t always what meets the eye; sometimes it lies in what’s hidden behind the packaging. Think of a refillable bottle, a tube made from recycled material, or packaging that’s compostable after use.

Within the Skins collection, you’ll find more and more brands taking a more conscious approach to packaging design. In this Story, you’ll discover how refillable, recycled, recyclable and compostable packaging works and how to spot it within Conscious Curation.

What do we mean by sustainable packaging?

Our brands develop their sustainable packaging in various clever ways.

Think of packaging that:

can be refilled
is made from recycled material
is designed to be recyclable
is compostable after use

What links these developments is the quest for less single-use packaging, less virgin material and greater transparency regarding the materials used and packaging design.

Within Conscious Curation, these claims are made transparent through Provenance’s independent Proof Points.

Refillable packaging

A refill system is designed to allow packaging to be used for longer, rather than being thrown away after a single use. The greatest sustainability benefit lies in the product’s lifespan. Refillable packaging extends the lifespan of your bottle and means you don’t have to buy a replacement product as often. The longer a product lasts, the more sustainable it is.

This could be a refill bottle, a refill pouch or an in-store refill system. The idea remains the same: less single-use packaging, without compromising on the product experience.

You’re seeing this trend more and more in the world of perfume. In the Story about sustainable perfumes, you’ll discover how refillable perfumes combine the fragrance experience with a more conscious approach to packaging.

Recycled and recyclable packaging

The terms ‘recycled’ and ‘recyclable’ sound very similar, yet they mean slightly different things.

Packaging made from recycled material is produced from existing raw materials that have been reprocessed. In the transition to a circular economy, governments are increasingly encouraging the use of recycled materials and the reduction of virgin materials.

Within Conscious Curation, these differences are highlighted through various Proof Points of Provenance, including:

Partly Recycled Packaging
Fully Recycled Packaging
Widely Recyclable Packaging
Partly Recyclable Packaging
Circular: Recycled, Recyclable & Refillable

On product pages, where applicable, you can see under ‘Sustainability Claims’ exactly which parts of the packaging fall under these claims and which materials have been used.

Compostable packaging

Some brands go one step further and develop packaging designed to break down naturally.

A great example of this is the Dressed to Kill Define and Defrizz Cream by Hair by Sam McKnight. The packaging for this product is fully compostable. It is made from Vivomer, a material that can break down in a home compost or industrial composting environment without leaving any harmful residues.

How can you recognise sustainable packaging?

Within the Skins collection, you can identify these products via the sustainability claims in Conscious Curation.

On product pages, under ‘Sustainability Claims’, you will find additional information about:

the type of packaging
which parts are recyclable
whether a product is refillable
whether recycled material has been used
whether packaging is designed to be compostable

This gives you more insight into the choices behind a packaging design and how a brand handles this.

Conscious Curation

Sustainable packaging is one of the curated selections within Conscious Curation. Within this selection, Skins brings together brands that demonstrate their commitment to People & Planet through Provenance’s Proof Points.

This selection is based on claims and documentation assessed by Provenance. This does not mean that other brands do not make conscious choices, but that they are not currently featured on this platform.

Frequently asked questions about sustainable packaging

What does ‘refillable packaging’ mean?

It means that packaging is designed to be refilled, for example using refill packs or a refill system.

Is ‘recyclable’ the same as ‘recycled’?

No. Recycled refers to material that has been used previously and reprocessed. Recyclable means that packaging is designed to be reprocessed after use.

What does compostable packaging mean?

Compostable packaging is designed to break down naturally under the right conditions, without leaving behind any harmful residues.

Is all recyclable packaging recyclable everywhere?

No. That depends on the local waste and recycling infrastructure. Packaging may be technically recyclable, but this does not mean it can be recycled everywhere.