LUMENE, a Nordic pioneer in circular beauty, is introducing a new, bio-based jar made of side streams of Finnish forest industry. LUMENE enhances circularity beyond formulations by changing all 50 ml moisturizer jars in its core product ranges to this new bio-based alternative, in total of 1,5 million jars annually. LUMENE is the first beauty brand to launch a bio-based packaging application with both the jar and the labels made of innovative wood-based side stream material.

As pioneering circularity for over 20 years, LUMENE is the frontrunner in using upcycled materials. This is now extended beyond formulations with the new biobased jar material as circularity is emphasized more in LUMENE’s packaging choices. LUMENE wants to minimize the use of excess packaging materials, maximize packaging recyclability, and utilize the use of recycled plastic and renewable raw materials in all areas possible. In recent years, the company has taken big leaps in packaging development by introducing lightweight jars, refills, as well as recycled and bio-based materials in beauty product packaging.

“At LUMENE we constantly invest in novelty technologies to improve sustainability of our packaging. This new 97% biobased jar is one option to reduce the use of fossil-based plastic. By 2025, our target is to have 80% of our plastic packaging made of recycled plastic or renewable raw materials. We continue to do research and develop of various new packaging material options”, says Essi Arola, Head of R&D, Packaging and Sustainability at LUMENE.

At LUMENE we constantly invest in novelty technologies to improve sustainability of our packaging.

essi arola, head of r&d, packaging and sustainability

1.5 million jars made of side streams

The new bio-based jar is made of side streams of Finnish forest industry. Tall oil, a side stream material of pulp manufacturing, is used to produce bio-based feedstock, which is the raw material for plastic production. When fossil-based plastic is replaced by bio-based plastic, the carbon dioxide emissions of the pack are reduced significantly.

“At LUMENE the packaging forms a large part of the product’s carbon footprint. The 50 ml jar is our most used packaging with 1.5 million pcs annually. That is why it has an important role in our sustainability roadmap. With the new jar LUMENE reduces the use of fossil plastic by 64 tons annually. For consumer the change is not evident. The bio-based jar has the same appearance and properties as the current, fossil-based plastic jar. However, it is a more sustainable option for a conscious consumer and one possibility to make a better choice,” Arola says.

LUMENE is the first beauty brand to launch a bio-based packaging application with both the jar and the label made of innovative wood-based residue. The new jar, lid and label are bio-based but the soft plastic in the liner inside the lid is still made of fossil-based plastic, representing 3% of the whole weight. The liner is used to make the pack airtight and is not yet available with bio-based option.

Since the jar is made of side stream material, no additional forest logging is required. The jar is also fully recyclable in PP stream. The project is carried out in cooperation with UPM Biofuels and the biopolymer producer SABIC, the producer of the certified renewable polymers. The new biobased solution is based on a mass balance approach with a fully certified value chain (ISCC Plus certification).

The new biobased jar will be launched gradually, starting in August 2023 with Nordic-C [Valo] moisturizers.