Haeckels x Vivomer

Haeckels Skin / Source: Haeckels

AfricaAlgaeAluminiumAsiaBeautyCelluloseEuropeGlassGlassineMyceliumNorth AmericaOceaniaPackagingSouth AmericaVivomer

5 MINUTE READ

Sophie Benson

WHAT WE SAY:

Haeckels does not shy away from innovation. From algae bottle seals to mycelium packaging and grown-to-order seaweed eye masks, it is always looking for the next exciting natural material to play with and the latest on its roster is Vivomer.

Manufactured by London-based Shellworks, the compostable, plastic-like material is made from microbes and will be eaten by the very same type of microbes as it breaks down in the natural environment at the end of its life. A move away from fossil fuel-based plastics is always a good thing, but could a system change be better than swapping one single-use product for another?

KEY FACTS:

In July 2022, the UK-based natural beauty brand Haeckels rebranded under four new pillars: Haeckels Skin, Haeckels Home, Haeckels Fragrance and Haeckels Lab. Its entire Haeckels Skin range is packaged in Vivomer, a new compostable material.
The range includes screw top tubs and tubes, and certain products are sealed with keyhole lids designed to dispense drops.
Vivomer is vegan and home compostable. It is derived from bacteria microbes and is created using a fermentation process.
The timescale for biodegradation varies according to the size and thickness of the product. Haeckels claims its packaging can break down in 48 weeks.

Algae Plump Serum packaging / Source: Haeckels

Vivomer breaking down in soil environment / Source: Shellworks

DIVE DEEPER:

Beauty packaging is difficult to recycle. It is small, it is made of a range of materials, and it consists of many different parts. With as many as 151 billion units of it made annually, and generally less than 10% of plastic being recycled, that is a great deal of packaging going to landfill - or ending up in the environment.
A test group of Haeckels’ consumers revealed that they were likely to reuse and refill simple Glass containers, however beauty containers were a ‘grey area’ due to the multiple components.
Before its rebrand, Haeckels used a variety of containers including glass pipette bottles, Aluminium cases, screw top bottles and glass jars. Bio-based materials in its packaging range included Mycelium, Glassine, Cellulose, and Algae.
The brand had experimented with compostable containers before but discovered they would absorb liquid or expand, undermining the user experience.
When in the development stages of its rebrand, Haeckels set out to find a material that, in the same manner as a twig or branch, would break down in any natural environment, mitigating potential impact should it escape formal waste streams. The company collaborated with Provenance to verify that Vivomer is compostable in all environments.
To ensure the material could be easily added to compost by its customers, Haeckels simplified its packaging designs and removed pipettes and other accessories from its lineup. The majority of the collection is screw top tubs, while a selection of pieces feature a small keyhole, which allows users to dispense drops for more precise dosing.
Vivomer advocates this stripped back approach for all its clients by using mono-material construction and assembly wherever possible.
In order to keep its new line of packaging completely petroleum free, and not disrupt the composting process, Haeckels utilised Shellworks’ range of natural dyes for its minimal blue and green palette.
Shellworks claims that Vivomer can be disposed of in home compost, industrial compost, and with household waste, stating that it will degrade into 'benign organic compounds' in all conditions.
Unlike the materials Haeckels had previously tried, Vivomer is rigid and durable, and can be mass manufactured in the same manner as a thermoplastic. Not only does it offer a better experience but it means it was ready to scale into Haeckels’ operations. It can be manufactured on existing equipment with only minor changes.
Haeckels uses 100% renewable electricity at its HQ, production facility, and shop, and it is a verified member of 1% for the Planet.
It offers free products or refills to local customers who bring a bag full of beach rubbish to its shop. Global customers can share a photo of beach clean efforts in return for a 40% discount code.

“We’re champions of new materials, so I think it was...expected that we would move into compostable packaging, but there's a lot of compostability noises out there, so we have been very focused on testing, testing, testing."

Charlie Vickery - Managing Director, Haeckels - as quoted in Dazed Beauty

Key Design Considerations:

Can you opt for a system change instead?

The food and beverage sector represents the optimum use for compostable products as they will deliver food and waste residues into compost. If your application is within another sector, could you consider a refill scheme instead?

How can you communicate dosage?

Functional extras like pipettes allow for easy dosing but they are often barriers to recycling, so consider how you can guide your consumer on usage without them. Haeckels advises customers using its new keyhole system to pour for a specific amount of time.

Can you interrogate the fermentation and manufacturing process?

Haeckels conducted LCAs when making the materials choices for its newly branded skincare line. If you plan to do the same, it will be important to understand how intensive - or not - the fermentation and manufacturing processes needed to produce Vivomer are.

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Haeckels x Vivomer

WHAT WE SAY:

Haeckels does not shy away from innovation. From algae bottle seals to mycelium packaging and grown-to-order seaweed eye masks, it is always looking for the next exciting natural material to play with and the latest on its roster is Vivomer.

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

A test group of Haeckels’ consumers revealed that they were likely to reuse and refill simple Glass containers, however beauty containers were a ‘grey area’ due to the multiple components.

Before its rebrand, Haeckels used a variety of containers including glass pipette bottles, Aluminium cases, screw top bottles and glass jars. Bio-based materials in its packaging range included Mycelium, Glassine, Cellulose, and Algae.

The brand had experimented with compostable containers before but discovered they would absorb liquid or expand, undermining the user experience.

Vivomer advocates this stripped back approach for all its clients by using mono-material construction and assembly wherever possible.

In order to keep its new line of packaging completely petroleum free, and not disrupt the composting process, Haeckels utilised Shellworks’ range of natural dyes for its minimal blue and green palette.

Shellworks claims that Vivomer can be disposed of in home compost, industrial compost, and with household waste, stating that it will degrade into 'benign organic compounds' in all conditions.

Haeckels uses 100% renewable electricity at its HQ, production facility, and shop, and it is a verified member of 1% for the Planet.

It offers free products or refills to local customers who bring a bag full of beach rubbish to its shop. Global customers can share a photo of beach clean efforts in return for a 40% discount code.

Charlie Vickery - Managing Director, Haeckels - as quoted in Dazed Beauty

Key Design Considerations:

Can you opt for a system change instead?

How can you communicate dosage?

Can you interrogate the fermentation and manufacturing process?

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