Product Waste Resulting from Insufficient Emptiability of Cosmetic Packaging and Its Economic and Environmental Implications

Michelle Klein (), Manfred Tacker and Silvia Apprich
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Michelle Klein: Institute of Packaging and Resource Management, Department Applied Life Sciences, FH Campus Wien, University of Applied Sciences, 1100 Vienna, Austria
Manfred Tacker: Circular Analytics TK GmbH, 1010 Vienna, Austria
Silvia Apprich: Institute of Packaging and Resource Management, Department Applied Life Sciences, FH Campus Wien, University of Applied Sciences, 1100 Vienna, Austria

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-18

Abstract: The cosmetic industry is an important economic sector with expected growth in the upcoming years and a noticeable trend towards sustainable products and product packaging options. A critical aspect of packaging sustainability is the amount of product residue left in emptied containers, as this contributes to both economic losses for consumers and environmental waste. In this study, the emptiability of different packaging systems for shampoo, hair gel, hand cream, body lotion, face cream, eye cream, and serum is assessed by developing novel testing methods. The results show a significant dependence of emptiability on the packaging system and product properties. While jars and airless pump dispensers retain less than 1% of product residues for hand cream products, pump dispensers’ values of up to 26% were found. These results underline the importance of optimal packaging choices adapted to different products to avoid economic losses for the consumer, environmental impact due to wasted products, and a negative influence on the recyclability of packaging and quality of the recyclate. Manufacturers can use these insights to design packaging that not only reduces leftover product but also aligns with circular economy principles, ultimately lowering environmental impacts and improving consumer satisfaction.

Keywords: technical emptiability; cosmetic products; product loss; product waste; product residues; emptiability; sustainability; packaging (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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