Refillable packaging offers solution to cosmetics waste challenge

As sustainability moves from being a niche differentiator to a baseline expectation in the cosmetics industry, refillable packaging systems and solutions are providing a viable and valuable solution to the industry’s waste problem.

There is a wealth of these innovations to be discovered at London Packaging Week 2026, where beauty brands, designers, and packaging technicians can explore the full breadth of their potential and sustainability credentials.

The global cosmetic packaging market is projected to grow with a CAGR just shy of 5% over the next five years to top $40 billion (c£30 billion) by 2031. At the same time, this growth is to increase the large amount of packaging waste the cosmetics industry generates, much of which still ends up in landfill.

The result is the increased focus of cosmetic brands and manufacturers on more sustainable packaging choices, whether lighter weight or recyclable.

Refill solutions are another option gaining ground. For consumers, refill formats answer a growing demand for less waste without sacrificing the ritual and quality they expect from beauty products. For brands, refills drive repeat purchases and turn a sale into an ongoing relationship.

Added to that, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws are making brands financially accountable for the packaging waste they create; with EPR and PPWR frameworks potentially rewarding reuse through improved packaging grades, refill systems are becoming both a consumer-facing and a commercially strategic choice.

Note that this does not mean refill is an absolute solution. Indeed, adoption continues to lag behind awareness, and brands are battling mess and hygiene concerns as well as consumer perception that a refill holds inherently less value than the original.

This is making design, functionality, and premiumisation a priority for those brands choosing refillable packaging systems

During London Packaging Week 2026 on 16 & 17 September at Excel, a wealth of refillable solutions is on show.

Jars, bottles, pouches, and more

The Pinard Beauty Pack (F36) Pin Pack® is offered as an alternative to flexible pouches while offering a 100% recyclable solution made from PET or RPET, combined with a PP light capsule. The range of bottles is available in 400ml, 500ml and 1l sizes and made from PET or Recycled PET. Pin Pack® is the result of Pinard’s unique industrial know-how, offering the possibility of creating bottles with ultra-thin walls. The shape of Pin Pack® bottles has been optimised to highlight the functionality of the product and is a break with traditional cosmetic bottles but recognisable enough to promote its refill functionality thanks to an offset neck.

Amcor (F72) offers spouted pouches as a refillable option for the beauty and cosmetics markets. AmPrima spouted stand-up pouches are available in recycle-ready versions made with PE and/or PP; versions containing biomaterials or post-consumer recycled (PCR) content are available upon request.

Another option is Amcor’s Exclusive Refill stick, available as part the company’s Circular Range. The refillable and reusable mono-material stick is made from 100% polypropylene (PP) and is available with Amcor CleanStream® post-consumer recycled (PCR) PP, which is suitable for contact-sensitive packaging applications. A convenient refill process is said to eliminate contact with the formula to prevent product contamination.

As well as being refillable and reusable, a modern and on-trend shape with straight sides across the stick and cap creates an attractive profile and large platform for branding. A wide choice of colours and decoration options allow complete branding and even personalisation.

Prima Refill is also available from the Amcor Circular Range. The Prima outer jar is available in transparent, frosted or natural white for an attractive and sustainable beauty experience. The mono-material jar is made with 100% PP and available with up to 100% Amcor CleanStream®. The inner container used to refill is claimed to save 40gm of plastic with each purchase; the whole pack weighs 55gm and the refill only 15gm.

Curve Pack (E40) offers a refillable bottle as a premium, sustainable packaging solution designed for high-end skincare and cosmetic products. Combining an elegant glass or aluminium outer bottle with a functional airless pump system, this pack delivers both superior product protection and refined aesthetics.

Designed with a refillable screw structure, the bottle allows easy replacement of the inner PP container, reducing waste and supporting long-term reuse. PCR content is also included upon request.

Available in 30ml and 50ml sizes with fill capacities of 30ml NFC/35ml OFC and 50ml NFC/55ml OFC, this bottle suits serums, lotions, emulsions, and other skincare formulations.

Screen printing and hot stamping enable high-quality decoration and full brand customisation.

Baia Refill from Lablabo (F36) is an airless dispensing system that uses a refillable pouch to reduce packaging waste. Baia Refill is a complete set composed of a 30ml or 50ml recyclable glass bottle, a recyclable PE pouch, a pump for dispensing high viscosity formulas, a collar and a cap. With each dose delivered, the flexible bag retracts. There is no air return in the system, preserving the integrity of the formula and allowing the pouch to retract. After use, the pouch can be easily removed by unscrewing the top part of the assembly, and the user can then insert a refill and reuse the rest of the system, with only the pouch discarded and recycled.

For high-quality branding, the bottle can be screen printed, frosted, or labelled.

Refill in action

Paco Rabanne and Cahé Cosmétique are both users of Lablabo/Pinard’s refillable airless dispensing system.

The Paco Rabanne Fame women's collection includes perfume, body milk, deodorant, and an 80ml eau de parfum refill that enables the bottle to be refilled and reused.

Cahé Cosmétique is using a 5oml Baia Refill for its face and eye contour cream.

Another is French fragrance house Juliette Has A Gun, which is using Pin Pack® for its Not A Detergent luxury laundry detergent.

The highly concentrated solution is presented in a compact 500ml bottle that allows for up to 25 washes, evidencing the characteristics of the pack’s unique structure and suitability for diverse and non-conventional applications such as scented laundry products.

Spectra Packaging (E42) worked with Fuss Free Shaving (FFS), the UK’s first razor subscription service designed specifically for women, for the development of bespoke 150ml and 50ml bottles of shave cream designed to a maximum thickness of just 22mm, enabling products to be delivered through standard letterboxes as large letters rather than parcels.

The packs are manufactured using 35% Prevented Ocean Plastic (POP), helping to divert plastic waste from coastal environments and supporting a Circular Economy approach. In addition, the design of the bottles makes them more flexible, refillable, and easier to decorate with direct-to-bottle screen printing.

The result has been a commercially viable packaging solution that successfully combines material innovation, sustainability, functionality, and consumer-centric design. This project demonstrates how thoughtful packaging engineering can reduce environmental impact while creating tangible benefits for brands, retailers, and consumers alike.

To see these refillable solutions and more for yourself, secure your ticket for London Packaging Week 2026 here.

London Packaging Week 2026 takes place 16 & 17 September at Excel London.