Henkel introduces recycled aluminum tubes for major Hair Coloration portfolios

Henkel takes another step in promoting sustainable packaging solutions. The company’s Beauty Care business started converting its Hair Coloration portfolio to aluminum tubes made of 100 percent recycled material. With this transition covering all Retail and Professional brands globally, Henkel supports a closed loop while at the same time reducing the environmental footprint: recycled aluminum has a significantly lower energy demand – up to 95 percent less – than virgin aluminum, thus a significant reduction of the CO₂ footprint per aluminum tube can be achieved. In addition, aluminum tubes are fully recyclable and widely recovered through existing waste management systems.

In the Hair Coloration category, aluminum tubes are used to protect the product and allow for easy-to-handle-application by professional hair stylists and consumers. Thus, they need to fulfill high-quality standards – which are also ensured when using recycled aluminum.

Infinite recyclability of aluminum tubes

“One of the main advantages of aluminum is the recyclability – the material can be recycled infinitely without losing its mechanical properties and sacrificing quality. Therefore, aluminum as a material class is a great enabler for a circular economy, as 75 percent of the aluminum that was ever produced on earth is still in use across various applications,” said Philippe Blank, Head of Circular Economy & Packaging Sustainability at Henkel Beauty Care. “By shifting major portfolios to this recycled material, we are demonstrating our commitment to sustainable packaging solutions. While a great focus is placed on plastic packaging, we are advancing innovation and sustainability holistically, across all materials and packaging types.”

Aluminum demonstrates high recycling quotes globally, yet the availability of recycled material is limited due to the high demand across several industries – the material is also used to produce beverage cans, for example. However, switching to recycled aluminum for applications that are facing rather short lifecycles – like consumer packaging – is an important step to reduce the overall footprint of such fast-rotating packaging items. That is why Henkel is working together with its packaging partners to explore new ways and drive progress along the value chain: the company will not only use post-industrial recycled aluminum for the tubes but will integrate up to 95 percent recycled material from post-consumer sources as well.

In addition, Henkel will gradually switch the associated plastic caps of the tubes to recycled plastic. This becomes even more important when considering the recycling downstream of aluminum-based consumer packaging along the value chain, where plastic materials that are still attached to the packaging will not get recovered at all and have no chance to become circular.

Pioneering the use of recycled aluminum for Beauty Care packaging

Henkel’s hair coloration brand Diadem is among the pioneers in the transition towards aluminum tubes made of 100 percent recycled aluminum in the company’s Beauty Care portfolio: the complete product range has recently been converted to 100 percent recycled aluminum already. Further brands will follow later this year.  

Already since 2014, Henkel has been promoting the use of recycled aluminum in its packaging and pioneering developments within its industry: As the result of a joint development project with packaging supplier Ball Corporation, Henkel introduced the world’s first aerosol cans with a 25-percent recycled aluminum content for deodorant sprays, e.g. under the Fa brand.

Learn more about Henkel’s initiatives for sustainable packaging at henkel.co.uk/sustainability/sustainable-packaging.