Refills & reuse: initiatives still held back, but boosted by innovation

Packaging reuse (refills, in-store refilling, and deposit-return systems) is starting to gain momentum in the beauty and wine & spirits sectors, but it is still limited by low real-world adoption. Luxury brands nevertheless have an opportunity: making refills more desirable and enhancing the consumer experience through innovations from packaging suppliers.

PSB Industries (Texen & Quadpack) has made refills a strategic development focus, despite still weak demand. The group notes that reuse is less top-of-mind than it was five years ago, and the market is not yet showing any major shift.
Coverpla highlights a gap between intentions and actual purchasing: refillable perfume bottles are growing, but remain a small share compared to crimped bottles, as fragrance is still strongly tied to traditional codes.
We Don’t Need Roads and Circul’R are developing deposit-return systems for the beauty sector in France, but implementation remains challenging (logistics, washing, investments) and depends on collaboration between all stakeholders.
Kilian Paris stands out as an exception: refills have been central to its strategy from the start, evolving from Techniplast refills to an extended approach including rechargeable bath products.

Aptar Beauty adds value through refills that are more practical and playful (a safety click and a fast filling process with automatic stop).
TNT Group develops reusable accessories (a magnetic ball), while Cosmogen and Quadpack innovate with reusable heads or pipette systems.
Nuon Medical brings a “beauty tech” dimension with tools integrating technologies such as LED lights.