Aptar Beauty, part of the Aptar Group, celebrated the 60th anniversary of its Verneuil d'Avre et d'Iton plant on June 13, 2025. The company took advantage of the event to highlight the site's production and innovation capabilities.

Société Technique de Pulvérisation (Step), founded in 1965 and based in Verneuil-sur-Avre, was acquired by Aptar subsidiary Valois in 1993, before the American manufacturer brought all its activities under the Aptar banner in 2010. On June 13, 2025, the site of Aptar Beauty, a global specialist in distribution systems for the perfumery and cosmetics markets, celebrated 60 years of activity in Verneuil d'Avre et d'Iton, the municipality created in 2017 by the merger of Verneuil-sur-Avre and Francheville.

An industrial, multi-purpose site in the heart of a town with the "Petite Cité de Caractère" label: employing over 250 people, the 20,000 m2 plant boasts a test laboratory working in particular on container/form compatibility, and a production area with 42 molding presses, 36 assembly machines, as well as packaging and bottling equipment. Some 1.7 billion plastic parts are manufactured each year at Verneuil d'Avre et d'Iton.

"This site embodies Aptar Beauty's DNA, in terms of precision, creativity, performance and ecological commitments. It also embodies resilience and adaptation to market situations - many products from the Verneuil site are, in particular, samples for the promotion of fragrances whose production is seasonal. The Verneuil d'Avre et d'Iton plant is subject to major fluctuations in activity - more so than Aptar's other sites - and requires a great deal of agility".explained Marc Prieur at the 60th anniversary celebration.

Environmental concerns

Aptar Beauty takes action to limit its environmental impact. At Verneuil d'Avre et d'Iton, the company is committed throughout the development process to recycling 95 % of the plastic used during production, to phasing out POM (Polyoxymethylene), gradually in old references and definitively for all new projects, to producing packaging incorporating post-consumer recycled materials (PCR) and to proposing recyclable solutions to optimize product end-of-life.

Aptar's ecological ambitions are also reflected in its production processes. The stated aim is to have 100 % of the molding presses on what the company calls its "Normandy platform" electrically powered by 2030. By using cleaner processes (with no oil pollution) that respect the environment, the group also hopes to save between 25 and 40 % on energy consumption at Aptar Beauty's three sites in Normandy, and benefit from reduced maintenance costs. "However, reducing our carbon footprint also involves optimizing assembly and utilities. The Aptar Group has a real determination to act, he told journalists during a tour of the plant.

In the assembly shop, pneumatic actuators are gradually being replaced by hydraulic actuators. The plant has, for example, a machine with electric actuators that handles products four by four, enabling it to reach speeds of around 220 parts per minute.

While the pump cores are manufactured at the Le Neubourg site, the Verneuil plant is able to carry out the assembly steps required to produce the finished products. Rings, casings, covers, tappets and tubes are assembled automatically, before robots pack the finished products into cartons.

At the Verneuil site, four machines are dedicated to the manufacture of the Easy sample tube. Plunger, ring, piston, spring and tube are assembled in a single step. Around 1.6 million Easy vials leave the plant every day. Tubes are filled in situ in the filling workshop before the pumps are added, and before being packaged for a turnkey service. The Normandy site's processing capacity for filling and inserting: 100,000 parts per day.z

Following the acquisition of iD Scent, the Verneuil plant also manages the production of an innovative range of paper perfume samples, recyclable thanks to its mono-material paper composition.

The plant has benefited from recent investments: an additional filling line, the first electric presses, and a strengthening of R&D functions working on airless and fragrance prestige innovations. The Nomad Refill, the first bag spray that can be refilled directly onto a perfume bottle in less than five seconds, launched at the beginning of 2025, is proof of the company's capacity for innovation!

Yaël Zajac

Luxe Pack Monaco, the international trade show dedicated to high-end packaging to be held from September 29 to October 1, 2025, is launching The Col'lab, a new collaborative space.

" Together, we go further "This is the motto of this unique venue dedicated to consortia, collectives and associations committed to the sustainable transformation of the packaging and luxury goods industry.

At a time when environmental, technological and societal challenges demand collective responses, The Col'lab is an international crossroads for dialogue, inspiration and cooperation. The aim is to stimulate constructive exchanges between players who are often competitors, but who share a common ambition: to reinvent value chains and accelerate the transition to sustainable models.

Located in the new "Gallery Diaghilev" hall, The Col'lab will bring together pioneering collectives who are shaking things up from the inside. Already present are Spice, Reset, EcoBeautyScore, Eco In Pack, Circul'R, B Beauty (B.Corp) and the Italian Packaging Institute.

Conference presentations will fuel the debate and nurture collective intelligence.

"The Col'lab reflects Luxe Pack's DNA: to be a catalyst for ambitious, creative and responsible initiatives. By giving a voice to those who are joining forces to transform their industry, we hope to inspire the entire ecosystem to take action".says Fabienne Germond, Director of Luxe Pack Monaco.

_{Photo taken from the Luxe Pack Monaco website.}

To mark "World Refill Day" on June 16, 2025, Febea has published a study on consumer perceptions of the refill model.

Conducted by Senseva, with financial support from Citeo as part of the "EncoRE plus de réemploi" call for projects, this study aims to identify the essential levers for developing consumer acceptance and use of refill systems, and to propose actionable avenues for players in the cosmetics sector to encourage wider adoption. The aim is to transform current practices by integrating solutions that meet both consumer expectations and ecological challenges.

A growing craze among certain consumers

According to the study, 59 % of cosmetics consumers have purchased refills in the past year.

Two consumer segments in particular stand out:
- the "Beautistats & Tendance" (22 %): these consumers are young, sensitive to novelty, promotions and fun,
- the older "Green & Clean Beauty" group (23 %) are motivated above all by the ecological dimension.

The typical profile of the refill buyer is a woman aged 19 to 44, who is educated, active, has a high income, lives in a household of three or more people, and is a major cosmetics consumer.

Reducing environmental impact is cited by 70 % of users as the main advantage for using cosmetic refills, followed by the economic benefit, practicality, aesthetics and fun aspect of the refill.

Consumers also appreciate the opportunity to access better quality products at lower cost.

Perceptions, expectations and obstacles

Consumers identify two main refill mechanisms: pour-on refills (pouch or bottle to be decanted into a reusable container), preferred by 44 % of respondents, and insert refills (cartridge or cup to be placed in the container), favored by 38 % of them. Plug-in pouches are currently the best-known and most widely used.

However, a number of obstacles remain, such as the unavailability of refills in stores (44 %), lack of clear information, and fear of wastage, hygiene or safety when decanting (14 %), while 13 % are unaware that refills exist for certain cosmetic products.

Potential varies by product category

Consumers consider the potential of refills to vary according to product category. The current refill market is largely dominated by hygiene products (shower gels, shampoos). Next come body and face care products, fragrances (in third place), hair care products, cleansers and make-up removers.

On the contrary, other product families, such as toothpaste, make-up or baby products, seem less suited to this consumption pattern.

Levers to accelerate adoption

To encourage wider adoption of cosmetic refills, the study identifies several levers for action.

Improved in-store and online availability, clear information on ecological and economic benefits, and adapted formats (large capacity, on-the-go formats) are key expectations.

Attractive pricing, especially for low-price consumers, is also a key factor (63 %).

Product and packaging innovation, in particular the development of cap-type pouches, as well as targeted communication via social networks and beauty influencers, are effective ways of raising awareness of the benefits and use of refills.

Lastly, the study highlights the importance of working together on refills and reusable containers, to guarantee an optimal user experience and limit product waste. The success of cosmetic refills will depend on an innovative, visible offer adapted to each product category, as well as positive, educational communication.