Design of an environmentally friendly airless cosmetic packaging

Abstract

The cosmetic business is continually looking for new ways to create products that meet the needs of customers while also taking into account the environmental implications that the globe is currently experiencing as a result of technical breakthroughs in the industrial sector. TOLY (Malta) Ltd is one of these cosmetic industries and it indicated the desire to build an environmentally friendly airless cosmetic container. The solution developed for the innovative airless cosmetic packaging design required to keep the fundamental functionality and operational behaviour of the existing airless cosmetic packaging. The specifications of the developed solution were established through an in-depth research of existing airless cosmetic packaging designs and relevant standards, as well as the use of appropriate design tools. To identify every life cycle function of TOLY's classic airless cosmetic package design, the IDEF tool was used. These functions were then assessed using the E-FMEA methodology based on the negative effects they have on the environment in order to discover which life cycle stages are more responsible for the total environmental consequences. Finally, it was determined that the end-of-life phase of TOLY's airless cosmetic packaging has significant negative environmental implications, making it the primary target of this study. The morphological matrix tool was used to develop two unique airless cosmetic package designs. These designs were then evaluated using a variety of criteria, some of which required extra testing to establish a scientific foundation for the rankings' logic. These concepts were rated using various decision matrices before a final concept was chosen. To further establish that the chosen concept is a more environmentally friendly option than the previous one, a questionnaire was distributed to the general public. Appropriate adjustments were made so that the chosen idea could be injection moulded and any potential failures during the use phase were reduced. Finally, in terms of material volume consumption and recycling, the created solution was compared to the reference airless cosmetic packaging. Based on these assessments, it was determined that the new airless cosmetic package design provides a more environmentally friendly end-of-life solution.