Maison Matine, a fragrance brand created by a new generation of committed French perfumers, has chosen Woola wool envelopes for the shipment of its fragrances to enhance the customer experience and reaffirm its commitment to sustainable development.

Manufactured in France, Maison Matin fragrances are made from organic wheat alcohol with a 100 % recyclable cap. 

The company's positioning and strong environmental commitment are reflected in a responsible approach to product design and packaging, using recycled, recyclable, cellophane-free cardboard. One point still needed improvement: the packaging used to ship products sold over the Internet. 

" We strive to produce as little waste as possible, and to use as little plastic as possible. This can be seen right down to the packaging of our products, which is made of kraft cardboard, but for shipping we used conventional envelopes with bubble wrap or cardboard packaging, the drawback of which was their size, as there was often a lot of empty space. This was not in keeping with our image or brand values. "says Marie Kellou, President and co-founder of Maison Matine.

Hence the choice of Woola envelopes discovered at the LuxePack show in Paris in June 2023. " First of all, I was attracted by Woola's values and commitment to recycling. But the products are also very different from what we usually see on the market, and the design was also a point that caught my attention. So we discussed it internally and decided to trust Woola for the e-commerce part. "continues Marie Kellou.

An eco-friendly alternative to bubble wrap

Woola is a young Estonian startup that arrived on the French market in January 2023. It recovers wool waste to replace plastic packaging in parcels and thus reduce the impact of e-commerce with environmentally-friendly products. 

The woolen wraps developed by Woola offer several advantages for Maison Matine, starting with improved brand image and customer experience in the e-commerce business. " The packaging used in e-commerce is the first contact customers have with the Maison Matine brand, and for this reason it's important. So, with these wool envelopes, as soon as they receive our products, they perceive our commitment to eco-responsibility. This is one of the reasons why we have chosen to place our trust in Woola "says Marie Kellou.

Other advantages of this ecological and sustainable alternative to plastic packaging are the strength of the materials used and the fact that there's no need to resort to over-packaging.

" It's still a little early to get full feedback from our customers on these new shipping envelopes. But we're delighted to have improved this important aspect of their relationship and experience with our brand. "concludes Marie Kellou.

The founders of Maison Matine say they are keen to test other products, including rigid boxes for shipping more sensitive products such as creams, which come in aluminum tubes liable to crush during transport. At Woola, customer opinions and feedback are constantly taken into account to develop new solutions, with the aim of making packaging a little lighter for the planet. Development to follow!

As part of its "Care About Earth" program, Groupe GM, a global specialist in sustainable hotel hospitality products, has declared its ambition to completely eliminate virgin plastic derived from fossil fuels in favor of more sustainable materials such as recycled or plant-based materials.

Several new products

The group has just launched the first cardboard tube for the hotel sector. This packaging - which, according to the company, helps reduce the use of plastic by 99 % compared with conventional plastic tubes - can be customized to meet the specific wishes of hoteliers.

Groupe GM has also launched a complete range of 0 % plastic accessories, made from bio-sourced, recyclable and sustainable materials, to offer an alternative to hotels wishing to adopt environmentally-friendly practices.

The collection includes bamboo combs and toothbrushes, as well as solid shaving soaps, innovative toothpaste pills, cotton buds and cottons, and a paper-based sewing kit adorned with a mother-of-pearl button. Slippers, made from cotton canvas and cardboard, all certified 0 % plastic by SGS, are also available.

All items in the 0 % plastic line are packaged in recycled paper envelopes that retain their natural color, without chemical bleaching, and are printed with soy-based ink. This makes the packaging entirely recyclable, and reduces the environmental impact associated with conventional petroleum-based inks.

Groupe GM also offers other innovative solutions. These include large-format refillable dispensers, called Ecofill, with a maximum capacity of 400 ml. In addition to having a lower environmental impact, an Ecofill dispenser is, according to GM Group, safer than a traditional bulk filling system, thanks to its sealed refill pouches of just 8 g recyclable plastic that prevent bacterial contamination, ensuring product origin, quality and traceability.

Groupe GM also offers solid products such as traditional soaps, shampoos, shower gels and conditioners. These 100 % plastic-free products use nine times less water in their production. In addition, the Group works with the Unisoap association in France to collect traditional soaps from hotels and give them a second life by recycling them for humanitarian purposes.

Care About Earth: a responsible program

Since its creation in 2018, the "Care About Earth" program has enabled the GM Group to affirm its commitment to eco-innovation and its leadership in promoting sustainable practices within the global hospitality industry.

"GM Group prioritizes green resources, focusing on the reuse and reduction of fossil fuel-derived plastics. The main initiative, eco-design, aims to reduce waste and preserve scarce resources." Every stage in product development incorporates environmental considerations, from raw material sourcing to recycling. 

Crystal Ballet, Quadpack's new refillable pack, is made from recyclable materials. Composed of a refillable double wall, it features a glass bottle. Its elegant design houses powerful airless technology.

Every component is made from recyclable materials, from the outer glass bottle to the inner refill, pump and cap. According to Quadpack's PIP (Positive Impact Packaging) rating system, based on comprehensive life-cycle analyses, Crystal Ballet displays an advanced level of sustainability.

Sturdy, transparent and "cool to the touch", glass adds an upscale touch. A range of decorative techniques can be applied. Brands can also play with the double-walled structure for a solution that suits their DNA.

The internal components (refill cartridge, pump motor and cap) are made of PP, while the refill cap is made of PE. The airless pump is entirely metal-free. All components can be easily dismantled for recycling.

Given the impact of glass on product weight, Quadpack has opted for smaller capacities for face products: 15, 20, 30 and 50 ml. Airless technology protects the integrity of the formula and guarantees low wastage, thanks to its high restitution rate. With a precise dosage of 0.20 cc per squeeze, this pack is suitable for skin care and dermocosmetic formulas, such as treatments and moisturizers.

Kurz, a global specialist in thin-film technology, makes metallization accessible with its compact DM-Smartliner digital metallization unit.

"It all starts with toner or electro-ink. Then follows a simple 'decalcomania'-type process; where there's ink, there's digital gilding with perfect registration. The technology is not new, but what is new is the optical quality and speed.says Kurz.

The DM-Smartliner comes with a predefined color chart. The customer can easily choose color, gloss and shade. They can also opt for overprints on a silver base.

The metallization unit can handle materials from 120 g/m² to 350 g/m². It can adapt to closed or open, creative or structured papers. Robust, it can handle small production runs, even one-off jobs, and can run up to 3,100 sheets/hour.

The DM-Smartliner can be used, for example, for mock-ups, cases, greeting cards, events, personalized catalog covers, and so on. It can also be used for serialization and identification solutions. 

In "plug and play" mode, this digital machine is simple and easy to use. No special training or cliché is required.

The DM-Smartliner operates in stand-alone mode. In this way, it can be used remotely to quickly manage finishing needs and requests, without slowing down a production run.

What's more, with its small footprint, the equipment fits easily into a production workshop. 

The DM-Smartliner is one of three new products to be previewed on the Kurz stand (Hall 3, Stand E71) at La Drupa, the trade fair for the printing industry, to be held in Düsseldorf, Germany, from May 28 to June 7, 2024.