A molded-pulp first in cosmetics

When the lipstick is gone, the user inserts a new lipstick cartridge into the case.

Mission accomplished? Not quite. The firm also wanted secondary packaging that was equally “green.” So John Delfausse, vice president of packaging at Aveda, began searching for a molded-pulp clamshell made of post-consumer recycled material. His search led to UFP Technologies. That firm built a prototype that had Delfausse and his colleagues excited not only from a design perspective but also because a molded-pulp design had never before been used for a secondary package in the cosmetics industry.

The prototype led to commercial production. UFP now molds, presses, and die-cuts the clamshells for Aveda. “They put together a turnkey process that met our tooling target and price,” says Delfausse. Even the paper sleeve that surrounds the clamshell and holds everything in place is made of 100% PCR paper.