A partner to luxury brands, the French company Metapack has developed expertise in zamac, a material that can be recycled ad infinitum, according to its CEO and co-founder Annette Der Minassian-Manoukian.
Monday, September 30, 2024. The setting for the press conference is unusual. The speech is militant.
Annette Der Minassian-Manoukian, CEO and co-founder of Metapack, spoke to journalists on the special Luxe Pack TGV, a train privatized for the show to enable visitors to travel to Monaco with a reduced carbon footprint while exchanging ideas with their peers. A flagship material for the French SME specializing in high-end primary packaging. A recyclable material, according to the CEO.
"Metapack was co-founded by three players in the high-end costume jewelry sector. We launched our business in 1998, offering luxury promotional items to perfume and cosmetics houses. We introduced zamac - an alloy already used in the perfume industry, but which had been abandoned in favor of ABS - and developed a zamac range produced in China. Very quickly, we encountered a craze for this material: zamac meets all the codes of luxury with its cool touch, a wide range of finishes adapted to very high-end products and the possibility of developing complex shapes through injection and demolding. Brands have found Metapack to be a laboratory for their creations, which has enabled us to move from promotional items to catalog packaging.she explains.
A non-ferrous metal alloying zinc, aluminum, magnesium and copper, zamac has become emblematic of luxury. Metapack, which also works with other materials such as brass, steel, aluminum and leather sheathing, has made it its material of choice. The SME, which has been recommending refillable and reusable solutions to its customers since 2006, has since 2008 been offering a whole range of customizable standard packaging made from zamac refills (caps, travel sprays, cases, lipsticks and sticks).
What about environmental constraints? "It's not widely known, but zamac is infinitely recyclable".emphasizes Annette Der Minassian-Manoukian. To counter preconceived ideas and answer various questions, in 2022 Metapack tested the recycling of its parts in collaboration with an environmental engineering consulting agency, a manufacturer of metal waste sorting machines, a domestic waste sorting center and a glass manufacturer. "We worked with Veolia and Derichebourg and went on site to check recyclability. Zamac sorts very well: we experimented with tracing our products and obtained an excellent capture rate of over 90 % on certain parts.says the company's founder with satisfaction.
The study also revealed the importance of shape and size in capturing end-of-life products. "Thanks to our study, we have covered the life cycle of zamac and demonstrated that this material can be detected in existing channels, recycled and transformed - in its original raw material - ad infinitum. Without losing its quality. Without losing its properties. We have also proved that advanced techniques and know-how for sorting and separating different materials exist in France and around the world. These techniques vary from one geographical area to another.
Another part of Metapack's study is starting this year, with the aim of offering an alternative sorting channel for zamac and other metals to the yellow bins. The red bins, dedicated to metal collection, are to be studied for household metal waste. With this in mind, the company intends to work closely with Ademe (the French Environment and Energy Management Agency) to guide consumer sorting.
| Operational relocation Since 2005, thanks to its network of partners, Metapack has been able to offer European production for its products. Some 15 % of its sales come from this relocation. "We are able to offer the same technologies we use in Asia by orchestrating partners in Europe. We produce zamac in Italy, brass and stainless steel in France, and aluminum in Portugal, using galvanizing or PVD technologies".says Annette Der Minassian-Manoukian, CEO of Metapack. |
| New products showcased at Luxe Pack Metapack took advantage of the Luxe Pack trade show, held in Monaco on September 29, October 1 and 2, 2024, to present its innovations. Timeless is a make-up case available in round or square formats. Made from zamac, it is refillable, reusable and recyclable, contains no magnets and can be customized by laser engraving or labels. The case's integrated tigelle clasp is based on a patented innovation. Made entirely of aluminum, with no plastic or magnets, the Infinity bag spray is a travel accessory for perfume or skincare formulas. It is refillable and recyclable. For the home fragrance sector, Metapack also offers Transparency, a pressed glass candle lid that can be customized by sandblasting, laser engraving or labels. |
Photo: Timeless 100 % zamac housing.
Yaël Zajac
