Refilling containers are getting popular to reduce plastics for cosmetics

 Cosmetics makers are accelerating efforts to reduce plastics. Kao has started a demonstration experiment to collect used containers such as lotion and milky lotion and recycle them into recycled bottles. Refills are also increasing in line with consumer sentiment, which is reluctant to dispose of plastic waste.

In February, Kao began collecting containers such as its flagship brand "Towanie" at 36 stores such as Aeon in the Kanto region. JEPLAN will remake the collected containers into raw materials using its own technology to manufacture recycled bottles. The experiment is scheduled to be completed by the end of July, and the scale of collection will be expanded in the future. FANCL also expanded the number of stores to collect from April to 61 stores in the Tokyo metropolitan area in order to recycle used containers into flower pots.

Refillable products are not uncommon for low-priced products purchased at drug stores without counseling by sales staff, but they are also expanding to medium- and high-priced products where brand image and quality are important. Shiseido is strengthening sales for refills with "ELIXIR" brand lotion and milky lotion. It is said that the lotion will reduce the amount of plastic by about 85% compared to the main bottle, and it was introduced to the Chinese and Taiwanese markets last year.

The cosmetics industry has begun to reduce plastics because consumers are demanding both luxury and "eco". "Customers will be pleased with the launch of refills, as they will no longer feel guilty about throwing away containers," said an industry insider.

Manufacturers also look to the effective use of cosmetics that were thrown away because of insufficient quality. Kose provides Morngata, who has the technology to make paints from powdered cosmetics such as eye shadow, with prototypes that should have been discarded. Kao also participated from April.