ABOUT ALBÉA GROUP

• Albéa is one of the largest global cosmetic packaging companies in the world and was founded in 2004 in Gennevilliers, France. It has worked with brands such as Chanel, P&G, L’Oreal, Coty and LVMH, as well as indie brands, such as Milk Makeup, Glossier and Morphe. It uses a lot of plastic – there’s no getting around it – but recent innovations in mono-material Paper-based cosmetic packaging are an industry development of note.

• The company is split into two sectors – Albéa Tubes and Albéa Cosmetics & Fragrance. The first sector has 24 industrial sites in 15 countries and produces eight billion tubes a year. It features transitional innovations, such as the company’s Metamorphosis Paper Tube, which is an FSC-certified paper squeeze tube with a bio-based laminate structure.

• The Cosmetics & Fragrance sector accounted for 30% of all new product development in 2020 and employs 7,300 people, across 14 sites, in six countries. Packaging offerings include the brand’s Bayonet Refillable Jar, with a twist-and-click lock system, and the Endless Kiss Lipstick with a replaceable bullet.

• Also available for cosmetics is a set of four mono-material Paper palettes for makeup, launched alongside paper mascara caps and overlays, as well as paper lipstick overlays. The packs are unique for their ability to be placed straight in the paper waste stream without disassembly – thanks to the use of no hinges, mirrors or metal closures.

• While the company’s eco-minded offering is small at present, its innovations – whether entirely plastic-free or on their way – have been utilised by brands such as La Roche Posay and Giorgio Armani fragrance, who used Albéa’s packaging for its My Way refillable perfume.

• Albéa joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment in October 2018, alongside L’Oreal, Unilever, Nestlé, Coca Cola and Pepsi. This commits it to making 100% of its packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025 and to using 10% recycled plastic in its designs.

• In 2021, Albéa was awarded Gold certification by EcoVadis, which evaluates a company’s commitment to CSR and sustainability. This puts it in the top 3% of companies in the Manufacture of Plastic Products industry and sits in the top 5% of companies rated by EcoVadis. 

• Albéa enjoyed USD 1.2 billion in sales in 2021. It has a staff of 12,500 across 43 industrial sites and offices around the world. In 2018, private equity company PAI Partners acquired Albéa for a reported USD 1.5 billion.