Sunkissed and The Label Makers switch to sustainable labels with bio-based PE

Sunkissed, the award winning cosmetics brand, has enhanced their line of self-tan mousse with sustainable packaging that aligns with the brands emphasis on natural, vegan, and cruelty free ingredients. Sunkissed has teamed up with The Label Makers, a UK-based creator of quality labelling solutions, to design sustainable labels made with Avery Dennison’s bio-based PE film that make the Sunkissed brand, and brand values, stand out on the shelf.

Increasing Demand for Sustainable Solutions

“When we started the process, two years ago, to make Sunkissed products 95% natural and fully sustainable, we were one of the first to do so. At the time, it was a niche market and natural products were mainly found in specialty shops.” Explains Audrey Laurent, Head of Own Brand at Rainbow Cosmetics, the parent company of Sunkissed.

Over the last two years, Audrey has seen the UK cosmetics market shift in the same direction that Sunkissed adopted early on. “People want to be taking care of the planet, and that means more customers are interested in natural products and more brands are offering them. People are now getting used to seeing natural, sustainable products in the local supermarket. There’s now more awareness around the benefits of these products as well as more access to them.”

“If customers have a selection of products with similar quality and price, we’re finding that they will choose the natural option when available.” -- Audrey Laurent, Head of Own Brand at Rainbow Cosmetics

This trend towards environmentally responsible products is not only happening in the cosmetics industry, says Ben Robinson, Business Development Manager at The Label Makers. “When we went to the annual trade show in 2019, one in six people may have asked a small question about sustainability. At the same show in 2020, every other person that came to the stand asked a question about sustainable labels. Everybody was asking about it, from a small jam producer to a national personal care brand.”

“In the past twelve months we’ve seen the demand for sustainable labelling solutions increase ten fold” -- Ben Robinson, Business Development Manager at The Label Makers

Delivering the Brand Story

“Sunkissed is a brand with a conscience, we’re trying to do something better for the planet by having natural, vegan, and cruelty free products.” says Audrey, “We started on this journey around packaging because we had a whole range of natural products that were being delivered in unsustainable packaging. It just didn’t work with the brand, we needed a solution that aligned better with our values and our customers’ values.”

Once the transition to a new packaging solution was made, including labels made from Avery Dennison’s bio-based PE film, Sunkissed highlighted this milestone in the package design. A sticker on the cap of the self-tanner quickly lets shoppers know the eco-credentials of the product.

“The consumer is becoming more interested in natural, vegan, and cruelty-free products. Having the packaging of those products be sustainable is the cherry on top.” -- Audrey Laurent, Head of Own Brand at Rainbow Cosmetics

The Future of Plastics

While brand values are a driver for many companies to explore environmentally responsible products, a major push towards sustainable packaging comes from the spotlight on the future of plastic

“A lot of retailers have signed plastic pledges.” explains Audrey, “They want to stock products with less plastic, recycled plastic, or more sustainable plastic. We’ve found the retailers to be a big reason the shift has gained momentum in the UK.”

Alongside individual company pledges, UK brands are preparing for the upcoming UK plastic tax that is set to come into effect in April 2022. The Label Makers is helping companies make the transition from traditional plastics to more sustainable alternatives with a range of Avery Dennison film materials. Such as the bio-based PE used by Sunkissed, derived from sugarcane ethanol, and the recycled PE (rPE) range made from 30% post consumer waste.

“The Label Makers is partnering with an increasing number of brands to create a solution that aligns with their commitments around plastic.” says Ben, “Having the Avery Dennison range on offer has helped make the transition to more sustainable packaging a smooth one.”

Simplifying the Switch to Sustainability

“Two years ago it was a real challenge to be sustainable because there wasn’t a lot of choice.” says Audrey, “When we first started on this path we had to explain to many of our suppliers what we were doing and why we were doing it. It has become a lot easier, as the solutions are now more mainstream.”

As an early adopter of sustainable labels, Sunkissed worked closely with The Label Makers to design and test a sustainable alternative to their current labels.

“We had been printing Sunkissed’s labels on standard PE film, so Avery Dennison's bio-based PE film was a natural progression.” says Ben, “We conducted trials on print quality, adhesion, and line trials to make sure it held up through the whole product life cycle. Ultimately, everyone involved was over the moon with the solution because it was a very seamless transition from the old label to the new one.”

“There is nothing that needs to be compromised when making the switch from standard PE to bio-based PE film. The clarity is as good, the print is as good, and it’s an overall seamless transition.” -- Ben Robinson, Business Development Manager at The Label Maker

About Bio-Based PE Film

Avery Dennison’s bio-based PE filmic facestock is made from sugarcane ethanol. The resin used to produce the facestock is Bonsucro© certified and the material converts in a similar way to conventional polyethylene (PE). The film is available in white and clear, can be easily exchanged for fossil-based PR, and can be recycled in the same way as standard PE.

Learn more about Avery Dennison’s wide range of sustainable labelling solutions.

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