Nivea's latest revamp for some of its iconic products has all the right ingredients as the skin care giant aims to meet its ambitious 2025 sustainability goals.
As detailed by Beauty Packaging, the Beiersdorf-owned brand has begun rolling out redesigned containers as it works to reduce material waste.
Nivea Creme is among the signature items that got a packaging makeover. Now, the recognizable blue tin is made from 80% recycled aluminum. The redesign supports the brand's 2024 goal of using 1.4 tons of recycled aluminum.
Unlike plastic, aluminum is infinitely recyclable. According to The Aluminum Association, repurposing the material takes roughly 5% of the energy required to create new aluminum, with existing recycling efforts saving the equivalent of more than 90 million barrels of oil annually.
Considering that a 2015 release from Beiersdorf estimated that Nivea, which celebrated its 100th birthday in 2011, sells around 150 million tins of Nivea Creme every year, this new initiative is poised to eliminate large volumes of planet-warming pollution.
Nivea also envisions refining its tins further.
"I can imagine achieving 100% recycled aluminum in the future, as we will continue to work on the topic of sustainability, also together with our suppliers," Philip Helm, who works in packaging, explained in a Beiersdorf media release. "... Aluminum is really the ideal packaging material for a circular economy."
Other 2025 initiatives include new Nivea Lip formulas made with up to 98% naturally derived ingredients, including one fully vegan formula. (According to Nivea, "naturally derived" means the ingredients have been processed but retain most of their natural molecular structure.) Some of the lip care products will be sold in recycled cardboard.
The Nivea Body Wash packaging will also be made with 47% recycled material and use 25% less plastic, supporting the brand's goal of cutting in half the amount of dirty fuel-based virgin plastic in its packaging by next year.
The wildlife that shares the planet with us will also probably be thankful, considering that plastics are a deadly hazard that takes tens to hundreds of years to break down.
While there are plenty of things individuals can do to reduce their plastic use in their everyday lives, the latest steps by Nivea are yet another heartening example of a major corporation taking meaningful steps toward a cleaner future while not sacrificing the products we love. Aldi, for example, has been making moves to reduce plastic in snack packaging in the United Kingdom.
"Who would not like to see their favorite skin care product being transformed into a better version of itself?" Morgane Deleuze, who works in marketing, said in the Beiersdorf release. "… This allows millions of consumers around the globe to stick to their well-known and trusted skin care routines and reduce their carbon footprint at the same time."
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