In the year that the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation becomes legally applicable, Paris Packaging Week (PPW) served as a showcase for high-end packaging innovation designed to meet its various mandatory recyclability and recycled content targets.
For this 25th edition, 915 exhibitors displayed the latest innovations in beauty packaging – offering mono-material and recycled-content solutions for the likes of dosing, dispensing, and next-generation pumps.
Here, we pick out some of the highlights.
Minimal-contact dropper
Always a strong presence at PPW, Aptar Beauty used the show to promote the NeoDropper Autoload, a precision dispenser designed to offer minimal formula contact.
By avoiding direct contact between the formula and the applicator, the risk of contamination is reduced. According to Aptar, tests conducted by an independent microbiology laboratory showed that microbial contamination levels are four times lower than those observed with a traditional dropper.
The system incorporates a twist-and-push automatic dispensing mechanism in which the push-button actuator is revealed through a smooth twist of the cap and, upon opening, the formula automatically fills the applicator with a predefined dose.
It features a high-precision pipette and soft actuation for controlled, clean application, Aptar says. The applicator reloads automatically with the same measured dose each time the packaging is opened, the company adds.
“Aptar’s DNA is built around innovation, sustainability, speed, and digitalisation,” said Marc Prieur, global president of Aptar Beauty.
“Innovation drives differentiation, with a strong focus on meeting both client and consumer needs. Our company now conducts consumer-oriented market studies to proactively support smaller and mid-sized clients.”
Environmental awareness is embedded in every new Aptar product, ensuring that nothing is launched unless fully sustainable, Prieur claimed.
“Personal care represents over 40 per cent of Aptar’s business, with strong growth continuing through 2026,” he pointed out. “Hair care sees solid double-digit growth globally – and particularly in Latin America, the US, and Asia – reflecting a sustained and widely recognised market trend.”
In Aptar’s fragrance segment, growth is expected between zero to 6 per cent in value. However, after three years of price-hikes, Prieur warned that the market shows pricing saturation, pushing consumers towards cheaper brands. Growth, he maintained, now relies on promotion and marketing.
“For packaging suppliers, unit growth drives demand, and client promotional campaigns are welcomed as they boost volumes,” he suggested. “To drive success, we see speed to market, with rapid launches replacing disconnected invention with one to two iterative improvements, and shared risk with clients.
“To keep Aptar ahead of the curve, we focus on digitalisation, including artificial intelligence – which powers operations, design, various product launches, and client data exchange.”
High-end dosing
Another manufacturer involved in the dosing segment for high-end products, Neopac displayed its NeoDose Solo tube.
Developed for the PE recycling stream, it incorporates a PE airless pump and Neopac’s established Polyfoil MMB barrier technology.
Rated Grade A by RecyClass, The Polyfoil MMB layer effectively protects sensitive formulations from oxygen and moisture.
The integrated airless system ensures hygienic dispensing and precise, consistent dosing until the last squeeze – hugely advantageous for exclusive skin and complexion care products.
“Sustainability and performance must go hand in hand,” said Catherine Bismuth, head of cosmetics at Neopac Group.
“With NeoDose Solo, brand owners can opt for recyclable packaging without compromising product integrity or consumer experience. Despite its simplified single-material design, NeoDose Solo offers reliable barrier protection while helping to meet recycling targets.”
Also at the show, tubes specialist Albéa unveiled Greenleaf PCR (post-consumer recyclate), a recycle-ready PCR tube with enhanced formula protection.
With 50 per cent PCR in the sleeve, optimised for HDPE sorting, and combined with a PCR shoulder, Greenleaf PCR 220 micron (16-35mm) can reach up to 35 per cent PCR, while the 300 micron (30-50mm) can reach 60 per cent PCR (with virgin cap included).
Despite a thinner web, Albéa says it offers superior moisture and oxygen barriers, high opacity for UV protection, higher bursting pressure, and improved drop performance versus standard plastics barrier laminate or aluminium barrier laminate tubes, keeping ingredients like water and methanol well-preserved.
Adaptable refills
Up until now, most refill systems of newly launched products have been limited to circular bottles. Usually, since the inner bottle has to be rotated for attachment and removal, a circular shape is required.
South Korean manufacturer Yonwoo has attempted to address this limitation with the EZ Rotate Airless refillable system. Described as revolutionary, the refill system is based on the inner bottle, which is pushed downward through the rotation of the collar (shoulder) part, offering a refill structure adaptable to various airless pump bottle designs.
It is crafted using olefin-based materials such as PP and PE, along with a mono-material pump.
Meanwhile, Japan-headquartered Kao Corporation showcased a recyclable, user-friendly dispensing system for a large-capacity skin care product. Called Sofina iP, the system combines a 100 per cent recycled, semi-transparent PET bottle compatible with optical sorting and existing recycling streams, with a fully olefin-based resin pump that eliminates metal components to prevent recycling disruption.
To overcome the lower fatigue resistance of olefin materials, the pump was engineered with a novel spring geometry and optimised resin combination, validated through repeated durability testing to achieve more than 5,000 consistent dispensing cycles – performance comparable to metal-spring systems.
The spring was positioned outside the liquid path to prevent formula contact, avoiding elution and material degradation, while the nozzle length and discharge pressure are optimised with the aim of delivering smooth, controlled flow for low-viscosity formulations.
This, claims Kao, ensures stable, comfortable countertop use and successfully balances environmental integrity, mechanical durability, and user comfort.
Mono-material pumps
Anticipating mandatory PPWR targets set for 2030, Lumson has also expanded its portfolio of mono-material, fully recyclable pumps with the launch of Free. Made entirely from PP and designed without a metal spring, this cosmetic pump is 100 per cent recyclable and certified RecyClass class A.
By reengineering the internal mechanism, Lumson has replaced the traditional metal spring with a high-performance plastics component – maintaining reliability, dispensing precision, and user comfort, according to the company. The Free pump is offered in both atmospheric and airless versions, and is suitable for large-scale production.
Smart 35 is the new actuator featuring Storm technology, a proprietary spray-enhancement system from Precision Valve Corporation. With an optimised weight of only 2g and no over cap, the company says the mono-material Smart 35 is the lightest all-in-one aerosol actuator on the market.
Designed with ergonomics in mind, it offers the same functionality – including the spray quality – as more complex and heavier actuators, Precision Valve Corporation claims. The application on show was a woman’s deodorant aerosol, produced with a Czech aerosol contract filler.
A highlight at the Silgan Dispensing Systems stand was the Aspire Chroma, the newest evolution of its Aspire fragrance pump platform. Designed to unite performance and added value to the lifestyle market, the Aspire range offers customisable colours made available through in-house injected PP collars and actuators.
“This launch is an opportunity for brand owners to combine the performance of a spray that consumers love with the flexibility of a distinctive and desirable product,” said Isabelle Lallemant, global marketing director for beauty packaging at Silgan.
“Designed for lifestyle fragrances, Aspire stands out for its quality and performance at an affordable price. With its smooth, fluid mechanism and fine, even spray, Aspire enhances everyday gestures and helps reinforce the brand’s expression and image, like creating collections inspired by olfactive notes and scent families.”
In response to the rapid growth of powder-based skin care, several solutions designed to improve the dispensing experience were in evidence at PPW.
Part of the Pochet Group, Qualipac has patented the PowderFull system, which is designed to deliver a precise dose at the press of a push-button cap into a receptacle positioned at the tip of the bottle. Once sealed with a dedicated cap, this removable receptacle transforms itself into a convenient, portable format, Qualipac says.
Cosmogen also showcased a patented, leak-proof solution. Made with recyclable PP and designed for rehydratable powder formula, Powder Pack has a push-button dispensing system that is designed to deliver a single, clean, and controlled dose. The pack is also refillable.
“The powdered facial skin care market is undergoing robust structural growth, valued at an estimated $1.2 billion in 2024 and projected to reach $2.1bn by 2033,” said Maud Lelièvre, marketing and communications director at Cosmogen. “This is an increase of approximately 75 per cent.”
