Cosmopak develops and supplies luxury cosmetics to the hotel and amenities sectors. The company has modified its products to make them more sustainable, to get them awarded the EU Ecolabel certification. This allowed the company to grow and enabled its partners to provide an eco-friendly service.
Eco-innovation in cosmetics
"It was a big challenge gaining the EU Ecolabel certification because our formulas - raw materials and recipes - and our packaging had to be changed. It was a process that took around one year. Now we benefit from having more clients and more environmentally friendly products."
Juan Haim Castro, Design Engineer, Cosmopak
The product development team is seeking the best suppliers of ingredients including preservatives, fragrances and packaging materials for each brand partner, for the products to comply with EU Ecolabel’s strict criteria for cosmetic products, and to meet customers’ expectations.
According to them, a key challenge in applying for the EU Ecolabel was sourcing preservatives compliant with the rigorous limits on hazardous substances. This was specifically difficult because information had to be retrieved along the product value chain and required a close collaboration with several suppliers during the EU Ecolabel application process.
In terms of packaging, Cosmopak changed the main raw material used to make bottles, caps, and labels from virgin PET (polyethylene terephthalate) to Recycled PET (RPET).
In addition to environmental benefits, such as the low toxicity to aquatic organisms, compliance with the EU Ecolabel criteria brings associated economic benefits, such those derived from reduced waste due to increased recycling and the use of recycled materials.
A flourishing business
Cosmopak’s factory in the northern Portuguese city of Ovar produces shampoo, hair conditioner, shower gel, hand wash, body lotion and other personal care products for a wide range of brands. It employs around 70 people but is currently expanding its production capacity.
EU Ecolabel certification for its products has enabled the company to expand its customer base, selling to both existing and new partners seeking eco-friendly options in response to rising consumer demand.
Cosmopak has partnered with eco-conscious brands like Paradores, NH and Eco Think for many years. These were among the first Cosmopak branded products to be awarded the EU Ecolabel. The company estimates that today around 30% of its clients have requested EU Ecolabel cosmetics, and this looks set to increase.
Cosmopak advises brands interested in EU Ecolabel certification that finding raw materials complying with the criteria can take time. However, the Cosmopak team certainly consider the EU Ecolabel as their best choice for demonstrating the environmental excellence of their products and for enabling their business to grow.
All Cosmopak’s EU Ecolabel products are listed on the EU Ecolabel Product Catalogue (ECAT), as are all products awarded the EU Ecolabel.
More information
Details
- Publication date
- 4 March 2024
- Author
- Directorate-General for Environment
