Aluminium packaging
What are the benefits and drawbacks of aluminium as a packaging material?
Benefits:
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Particularly for our products that contain water and so are more sensitive, the aluminum tube is the preferred packaging as it provides the best product protection. This material has very good barrier qualities and reliably protects the formulation from UV light, water vapors and oxygen.
- Due to its malleable nature the aluminum tube also prevents impurities or micro-organisms in the air from getting into the product when the cream is dispensed from the tube. As we do not use any synthetic preservatives in Dr. Hauschka products, product protection is our greatest priority (more on the importance of product protection in section 2).
- Aluminum enables us to guarantee a proportionately long shelf life, even once the product has been opened.
- The aluminum tube can be almost fully emptied, even with thicker products like our creams or masks.
- Aluminum is what is referred to as a ‘permanent material’, which can be recycled time and again without losing its qualities. This means that a large proportion of the aluminum that has already been extracted is still in the recycling cycle and is used, for example, in the building trade in the form of window frames or in the auto industry.
- The aluminum tubes used for Dr. Hauschka Skin Care products does not cause any health concerns as it has a non-hazardous protective coating inside it. There is no contact between the contents and the aluminum packaging. The tube complies with the German Food and Feed Code and is also used for food packaging. Even when the tube is squeezed or subjected to any other mechanical stress, the flexible internal protective coating is not affected.
Drawbacks:
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A great deal of energy is needed to manufacture aluminum. In addition, its production gives rise to waste products that are damaging to the environment. Thanks to the use of recycled aluminum, the energy consumption can be considerably reduced – by up to 95% – and damage to the environment caused by waste products avoided. For this reason, we are gradually shifting to the use of residual aluminum from industry for our Dr. Hauschka aluminum tubes.