Wednesday, January 8, 2025

[Conference] The start-ups betting on eco-design

What are some of the challenges involved in eco-design, and how are start-ups approaching this?

Eco-design is at the heart of both formula and packaging at Le Rouge Français. The transparent, primary pack of its lipstick is made from injected castor oil. The company invested in its own mold for the made-inFrance biosourced pack that is both refillable and recyclable. “Launching a global innovation in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic was a real challenge and we needed to adapt and find the right partners,” says Co-founder Elodie Carpentier. “Most complex is the financial aspect; as a start-up you need to raise funds and convince investors.” Le Rouge Français works with French glassmakers for the rest of its range, and is to launch a leather-effect palette in recyclable cardboard, with recyclable and refillable aluminum pans. Le Rouge Français has a send-back system in BtoC for its packaging and a collection system with retailers.

Monomaterial is extremely important and greatly facilitates the work of recyclers; it’s important to communicate with recyclers and think about end of life.
Sacha BALTI,Founder of BARBARIE COMPAGNIE

When sustainable underwear brand Olly launched five years ago, it was something of a trailblazer. ”It was easier to find trainers made from recycled material than sustainable lingerie,” says Founder Clémentine Girard. The brand uses GOTS-certified organic cotton, recycled Italian lace and Tencel, as well as recycled synthetic yarn Seaqual for its swimwear. Its products are made in Europe, in ateliers in France, Spain and Hungary. Olly’s combined shipping and gift box for e-commerce has a neutral exterior and branded interior. It can be dissembled and reassembled to use as a gift box or to keep.

At botanical fragrance brand Floratropia Paris, “we took some bold steps,” founder Karine Torrent says of its doypack refills. “Fragrance is one of the most over-packaged products in beauty,” she notes, adding that the perception of a fragrance’s quality is often linked to its packaging. “While glass is quite virtuous in terms of recycling, two-thirds of its carbon footprint is linked to its production.” Compared to refills in glass or aluminum, the doypack is the optimal solution in terms of carbon footprint (around 60% lower). Floratropia collects its doypacks for free when empty, to then revalorize them with a company that recovers the aluminum and creates thermal energy from the two layers of PET/PE. “We would like to have a monomaterial solution, but with alcohol-based fragrance it is not currently envisagable,” says Torrent.

Think outside the box. Go to industries different to your own, and look for creativity and innovations in packaging. It’s by combining these two elements that exceptional things are made.
Elodie CARPENTIER, Co-founder of LE ROUGE FRANÇAIS

With his brand Barbarie Compagnie, Sacha Balti wanted to show that it was possible to develop a 100% glass flacon for the prickly pear seed oil. “Multi-material dropper packs are used today in plant oils, but we wanted a monomaterial pack,” he says. Balti sources the prickly pear seed oil, reputed for its anti-aging properties, in Tunisia.

As well as ethical sourcing, positive social actions were also highlighted. Le Rouge Français plants a mangrove (a plant particularly efficient at storing carbon) for every product sold. Olly works with an e-commerce logistics company helping to get people back in the workplace.

As for advice they’d give to someone looking to eco-design, Sacha Balti said to not hide behind the term. “Today, we use eco-design as something which we can hide behind to produce packaging that is not really so, and we struggle to define what this notion actually means. You must adapt ecodesign to your product.” Glass is the best packaging for his oil, he says, as it is neutral and preserves the formula. “As eco-designed as packaging can be, it is still waste,” he states. “Monomaterial is extremely important and greatly facilitates the work of recyclers; it’s important to communicate with recyclers and think about end of life. We need to think about what material we use, why we use it, and is it really virtuous. Perhaps there is not a miracle solution, but you have to be aware that when you launch a product you launch waste, and try to minimize the impact as much as possible.”

“You have to go for it,” says Clémentine Girard. “In textiles, there are many materials and they have advantages and disadvantages. “Think outside the box,” advises Elodie Carpentier. “Go to industries different to your own, and look for creativity and innovations in packaging. It’s by combining these two elements that exceptional things are made.”

Article based on The start-ups betting on eco-design conference with Sacha BALTI, Founder –BARBARIE COMPAGNIE, Elodie CARPENTIER, Co-founder – LE ROUGE FRANÇAIS, Mathilde DE SACY, Co-founder – OLLY, Karine TORRENT, Founder – FLORATROPIA PARIS

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