Albéa Paper Palettes

The Hide & Show paper eyeshadow palette / Source: Albéa

AfricaAlbéa Paper PalettesAsiaBeautyCottonEuropeNorth AmericaOceaniaPackagingPaperRecyclableRecycledRigidSealableSouth America

WHAT WE SAY:

Albéa, a company with a legacy of plastic use, is turning over a new leaf with its Paper Palette collection for make-up.

The range of four containers is made entirely of FSC-certified cardboard, and doesn’t use difficult-to-recycle elements such as magnets or plastic parts. This easy-to-dispose-of range can be customised in size and décor. It sees the company defy the old adage that a leopard can’t change its spots. And while it may have a legacy of plastic use, we commend its continued efforts to adapt and improve.

Albéa Paper Palettes

WHAT IS ALBÉA PAPER PALETTES?

Albéa Paper Palettes are a collection of four cosmetics containers for make-up, made entirely of FSC-approved cardboard from Shenzhen, China.
The palettes are available in four styles: The Notebook, which allows the user to open an eyelet system with elastic or Cotton string; The Slide, a system where a ribbon pulls out an inner box; The Hide, a slide system with a Paper tab to open the palette; and The Box, a shoe box construction allowing closure by friction.
No magnets or metal hinges are used across the containers. This means the entire palette, when emptied of product, can be disposed of in the paper recycling stream without having to be disassembled.
Each palette can be produced in a mix of FSC-certified virgin paper and recycled kraft fibres, and are available coated or uncoated, depending on the specification. The size, construction, pan placement and shape, and decoration can all be customised too.

KEY PROPERTIES:

Recyclable
Recycled
Rigid
Sealable

INDUSTRY:

Beauty
Packaging

DIVE DEEPER:

Albéa started its life as a plastic company and has made big moves in recent years to shift from the damaging impact of the industry and rethink ways of offering cosmetic packaging solutions. Its paper range, which also includes paper tubes for mascara and lip products, as well as its paper palettes, is one way it is dipping its toe into a more sustainable future.
With more demand among consumers for sustainable solutions, the use of paperboard has seen a rise in recent years – proving to be an attractive proposition for companies like Albéa. The global paper and paperboard packaging market size was estimated at USD 199.8 billion in 2021 and is forecasted to increase to more than USD 250 billion by 2026, according to Statista.
Paper is also an easily identifiable recyclable material by consumers, which contributes to the high worldwide recyclability rates. Approximately 46 million tonnes of paper and paperboard were recycled worldwide in 2018, presenting a recycling rate of 68.2% – the highest among all household waste.
In a comparison article where Chinese cosmetics factory Jian Cosmetics weighs up differences between plastic and paper palettes, the company suggests that paper palettes are cheaper than plastic – another benefit of switching to the material. The company puts this down to the expensive cost of moulding for plastic palettes.
Jian Cosmetics has one sticking point for paper palettes, however, because although paper moulds are very cheap, assembly often requires some manual completion, which slows down the process and the amount of palettes it is able to produce within a certain period.

The Box paper eyeshadow palette / Source: Albéa

The Slide paper eyeshadow palette / Source: Albéa

KEY FACTS:

$250bn

Projected value of the global paper and paperboard market by 2026

46mn tns

of paper and paperboard were recycled worldwide in 2018

Key Questions to Ask:

Is the palette durable for long-term use?

As Jian Cosmetics makes clear, plastic palettes are stronger, easier to clean and can be stored for long periods of time, while the lifecycle of a paper product is generally shorter because it’s not waterproof and generally less durable. Consider whether this is a change your customers are willing to accept, and whether they will end up throwing away product more often as a result of a less sturdy pack. A refillable palette – where consumers can buy replacement pans of make-up – could be a more responsible choice.

What volume of palettes do you need?

The manual production required for paper palettes will limit scalability – at least until infrastructure catches up – making this design direction better suited to SME brands. Mass-scale brands should consider a more permanent packaging approach as stated above, where refillable and customisable make-up palettes – with consumers choosing the exact pans of product they want and when they want them – will reduce both packaging and product waste.

What decorative aspects are you considering?

Uncoated, undecorated paper is the most sustainable choice for a palette such as this, but that isn’t a reality for a brand looking to capture the consumer’s eye. Consider your decoration choices carefully, and veer away from metallised finishes, UV inks and hot foiling applications – many of which are plastic-based and/or hinder recyclability. Consider practises such as de-bossing or contour cutting to achieve a premium feel without the plastic.