Woodacity

The Woodacity collection / Source: Quadpack

AsiaBeautyEco-warriorEuropeLeak ProofLightweightNorth AmericaOceaniaPackagingRigidWoodacity

WHAT WE SAY:

Wooden packaging has long been used across the beauty market - especially in fragrance. It creates a premium yet naturally crafted feel that many perfume brands like to emulate.

The issue with wooden components, however - and one that is completely at odds with the reason they are used - is that they are packed with plastic parts. Used to help seal the packaging, the plastic components - from disks to laminates - have become a given. Quadpack, however, believes things can be done differently and its Woodacity range of mono-material wooden caps use simple design and carving techniques to seal packs without plastic. This is real craftsmanship.

Woodacity

WHAT IS WOODACITY?

Woodacity is a line of full-wood components for cosmetic packaging launched in January 2021. A world first, the line currently features a range of mono-material, plastic-free closure systems for fragrance and skincare packs.
The three wooden caps are: Solo Snap, a snap-on cap with a unique pattern of interior ribs that closes with a ‘click;’ Solo Push, a friction fit cap; and Solo Turn, a full-wood thread cap with no plastic insert that easily twists onto glass jars.
Each cap is made from 100% PEFC and FSC-certified wood, and is said to be produced using 100% renewable energy.
The line is manufactured at the company’s Spain-based plant that’s supported by an in-house biomass plant. The plant recovers wood scraps from the production line to generate energy to power wood drying ovens, heating and air conditioning. This process eliminates the need for fossil fuels in production and has enabled the company to reduce its carbon footprint by 420 CO2 tons a year.
Quadpack claims that the caps have the same stability and functionality as plastic due to the company’s unique ribbed internal mechanism. The removal of a plastic insert means the caps can be easily recycled in wood waste streams and will biodegrade in nature as the wood has not been chemically modified.
All caps are created with a consistent appearance and performance thanks to controlled storage conditions that are maintained at every step of production - drying, shaping, lacquering and decoration.
In June 2022, Quadpack partnered with packaging manufacturer Aptar to create the Iconic Woodacity lipstick, a refillable lipstick with a 100% ash wood casing. The design uses a new closing mechanism called the Solo Twist, which features an oval-shaped interior that ensures the cap locks automatically with a quarter turn.
In August 2023, the company launched a complete Woodacity collection, featuring refillable lipstick tubes, compacts, and jars.

KEY PROPERTIES:

Leak Proof
Lightweight
Rigid

INDUSTRY:

Beauty
Packaging

AVAILABILITY:

Commercially Available

DIVE DEEPER:

While beauty brands can easily swap a plastic bottle for a Glass or Aluminium one, replacing plastic in fixtures and fittings, such as caps and pumps, is far trickier. Plastic is ubiquitously used in closures to ensure stability of a product, eliminate leakage concerns, and protect against oxygen and bacteria. When plastic is used alongside another material, such as wood, the multi-materiality of the design does not allow for efficient disassembly and recycling. Wood has never been seen as a viable substitute on its own.
Quadpack’s innovative use of traditional carving craftsmanship has overcome the issues of using wood as a cosmetic packaging material - namely its elasticity and water permeability. Developed over two years, a team of designers, engineers and technicians tested the material in different conditions, shapes and combinations.
Since its launch in 2021, Italian cosmetics brand OphirMilano has onboarded Quadpack’s Solo Turn Cap and Regula Glass for a new range of products launched in April 2022.
All of Quadpack’s wooden elements can be paired with the company’s Regula glass range, made in Europe and designed as an alternative to acrylic. The caps can be both bespoke and as standard.
The Woodacity collection was chosen as a finalist in the Packaging Design category of the Cosmopack awards in 2022. It was also a finalist in the 2021 Sustainable Beauty Awards, under the Sustainable Packaging category.

Wood-based refillable lipstick packaging / Source: Quadpack & Aptar

The Woodacity collection / Source: Quadpack

KEY FACTS:

100%

Each cap is made from 100% PEFC and FSC-certified wood, and produced using 100% renewable energy.

420tn

The company has reduced its carbon footprint by 420 CO2 tons a year.

15%

Only 15% of waste wood is recycled worldwide each year, while the rate for plastic is less than 10%.

Key Questions to Ask:

Is wood recycling an established habit among consumers?

Only 15% of waste wood is recycled worldwide each year, while for plastic the rate is less than 10% - although this varies greatly by region. While wood has far greater positive qualities than plastic - namely it’s a renewable material - it is clear that a strong communications strategy should accompany its use and how to dispose of it. Not many consumers will have access to wood recycling, or know that they do, so localised advice should be prioritised.

Can you design for refill?

Quadpack says its Solo Turn cap, when paired with its Regula Glass tub, was developed for reuse. The refillable beauty market is growing exponentially, and wood-based permanent packaging design is well-suited to premium and natural and organic brands. Consumer uptake for refillable beauty still needs work, however, and refills should represent not only a cost and material saving, but be convenient to use too.

Would a mono-material packaging design be a better fit?

While these advancements in wood packaging are notable, and needed, any pack that combines a number of materials still poses a problem. While the caps can be easily removed from the bottle, pairing a glass bottle with a wooden cap still requires two waste management streams and the consumer knowledge that separation is vital.