Refill and then recycle forever: TUBEX is breaking new ground by launching a 100% recycled and recyclable refill tube made of a single material.
Innovative beauty brand La bouche rouge was the World Premiere to adopt the MonoRefill and is using it for the refills in its new perfume range.
Growing awareness of the environmental impacts of packaging is driving consumers and retailers to seek functional, eco-friendly packaging. Brands are making bold commitments and setting sustainability goals that cover their whole supply chain. As the need for more sustainable and circular packaging increases, solutions for reusing and refilling existing containers are entering the spotlight.
Designing refill packaging
TUBEX designs all its packaging to be sustainable and fit for purpose. Refill packaging will be disposed of immediately after use, so it must have a low environmental impact and be easy to recycle. It should also be user-friendly and provide optimal protection for its contents.
The MonoRefill: A champion in waste reduction and circularity
The latest innovation from TUBEX, the inventor of the world’s first tube made of recycled aluminium, was designed to fulfil these requirements. The MonoRefill is lightweight, made of 100% recycled aluminium (95% of which is PCR), and is easily recyclable.
A unique alloy designed especially for TUBEX allows us to reuse aluminium packaging that has already been disposed of and recycled. The tube is manufactured in a single step using a single aluminium slug for the entire tube. This means it’s made of a single material (no plastic cap) and therefore much easier to recycle.
Designed for a low environmental impact the MonoRefill reduces emissions, helps to eliminate waste, and keeps valuable packaging materials in the loop.
Easy to use and practical, too
The MonoRefill was also designed with the consumer experience in mind. It’s easy and satisfying to use: Consumers simply snap off the aluminium closure and empty the contents into the original container – down to the last drop. The tube allows easy emptying while preventing spillages and mess – even with liquids like perfume. When the MonoRefill is empty, consumers can flip the closure over and insert it back into the tube so that everything gets recycled together.
The MonoRefill in action
French luxury beauty label La bouche rouge was the first brand to choose the MonoRefill, which it uses for the refills in its new perfume range. The brand is known for its NO PLASTIC policy and for making beauty products from recycled and upgraded materials with natural ingredients and formulas – so the upcycled, all-aluminium MonoRefill was a perfect fit.
As a lightweight, easily recyclable tube made of a single material, the MonoRefill gives La bouche rouge exactly the qualities that are important in a refill pack: innovation, high-quality, user-friendly packaging that has a low environmental impact.
“We designed the MonoRefill to provide brands with a sustainable solution for refilling complex original packaging, or as an alternative to existing refills made of plastics or other materials that are hard to recycle. Most of the refill solutions available on the market are not circular, and many are not even recyclable. We have seen a lot of interest for our solution in a variety of sectors, including beauty and personal care, and home care”, says Thierry Bitout, Group CEO at TUBEX. “The MonoRefill can be used to refill perfume bottles and different types of jars and small bottles. It can also carry concentrates to refill bigger bottles or dispensers. We believe many product categories can benefit from our solution.”
Why aluminium is ideal for refillable and refill packaging
The idea behind refillable products is to reduce the overall environmental impact. So the packaging used for refillable containers and their refills needs to be made as sustainable as possible.
Aluminium is a lightweight material that has excellent barrier properties and – crucially – can be infinitely recycled. While other materials like plastic decline in quality after each recycling, aluminium can be melted down and reformed repeatedly without losing its premium quality. Recycling aluminium saves 95% of the energy needed to produce primary aluminium. And thanks to well-established recycling systems and channels, aluminium packaging enjoys very high recycling rates (69% in Europe).
Aluminium is therefore perfect for manufacturing sustainable, high-quality packaging for refillable containers and the refills themselves – and for creating a closed loop that keeps materials in use for longer.
MEDIA CONTACTS
La bouche rouge
Name: Nicolas Krenner
Email: nkrenner@laboucherougeparis.com
TUBEX Aluminium Tubes
Silke Schedenig
Email: silke.schedenig@tubex-tube.com
