Is Aluminium the future-proof material for sustainable cosmetic packaging? Many brands seem convinced of this. Among them stands out Beiersdorf, the company behind famous cosmetics brands such as Nivea, Labello, and Eucerin. Thanks to the collaboration with Ball Corporation, Beiersdorf has completed a full transition of Beiersdorf’s European aerosol cans to 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) aluminium, marking a major milestone for circular metal packaging in the personal care sector.
From pilot to full rollout in one year
The initiative started with a pilot project in 2024 and moved to a region-wide rollout last year, meaning the shift has now scaled from proof-of-concept to commercial maturity across Europe. Many NIVEA MEN deodorant sprays and selected 8×4 products are already on shelf in the new cans.
Why it matters: emissions, circularity, and scalability
For Beiersdorf, the move is positioned as a direct lever to cut aluminium-packaging emissions and accelerate its broader sustainability roadmap. The company has publicly set a goal to become climate-neutral by 2045, and PCR aluminium is presented as a key enabler for that ambition.
For Ball, the project reinforces its European leadership in circularity and lightweighting, while supporting the company’s commitment to reduce absolute emissions by 55% by 2030.
Crucially, this transition is being framed not just as a brand initiative, but as evidence that fully recycled aluminium aerosol packaging is technically and commercially viable at scale—a signal likely to resonate across the cosmetics and personal care value chain.
Aluminium is central to many sustainability strategies: it can be recycled indefinitely without losing quality, and recycling requires around 95% less energy than producing from raw material; about 75% of all aluminium ever produced remains in circulation today, highlighting the material’s long-term value in closed-loop models.
