[Consumerwide_Hayoung, Chang Reporter / Yohan, Bok Reporter]  Cosmetics businesses are constantly trying to build an eco-friendly cosmetics packaging system. Those efforts are aimed to reduce plastic use and improve the environment, which can be important for consumption-value-based customers who pursue a sustainable future. Amorepacific is hosting a program that discovers startup businesses in the Zereoplastic area, and Kolmar Korea is inventing paper-stick packaging which reduces use of plastics by 86%.

Amerepacific is officially recruiting startup businesses under 7 years-old to cooperate for the 'Zero-plastic' project, which aims environment-friendly task and co-existance. ‘A MORE Beautiful Challenge’ is a program which connects startup businesses in environmental and social sectors to the cooperation and investment of Amorepacific, and is having its second year. The program is hosted by Amorepacific and operated by Impact investment company MYSC(Social Company).

In 2023, having the ‘Zero-Plasic’ theme, they are planing to recruit startup businesses who are qualified in plastic reduction/replacement/recycle, plastic collection system technology development, and improving environmental packaging through design and upcycling. The applications are accepted till 23rd of May online. The final 5 businesses are participating in programs including professional field mentoring from Amorepacific staff and executives, Zero-plastic related lectures, Open-innovation talk-show, IR pitching consulting, Demoday, as well as get a chance to check out potential cooperation with staff through the Meet-up Day hosted by the Amorepacific head quarter. Amorepacific has been selecting 5 startup businesses in the environment and innovation field through the first ‘A MORE Beautiful Challenge’ in 2022.

Colmar Korea has developed cosmetics containers made of non-timber-based paper sticks. By reducing the use of plastics up to 86% from the former stick type containers, it's been considered to approach the initial target, 'Plastic Zero'. This is an outcome of an eco-friendly packaging research and development project after 3 years of work. Earlier, we began producing paper-tubs for commercial use, which is the first time in global industry history.

The paper-sticks replace plastic containers manufactured for Lipbalm, multi-balm, and sun-stick products. Excluding the rare-cap to fix the product, everything is made of paper material. Additionally, they've used an eco-friendly product by HDC Hyundai EP, which includes 51% of paper components for the rare-cap, in order to reduce the use of plastics. For the body, mineral(stone) paper, a non-timber ingredient, is used. The mineral paper is made of leftover stone waste from stone pits or mines. It is a type of eco-friendly material which returns to a stone powder, the initial form, after a biodegradation process stimulated by light at the point of disuse.

This particular material has a high durability and water resistance. So it's not easily ripped, and endures strongly in water or moisture conditions. When one ton of ordinary paper is replaced with mineral paper, 20 trees and 28 thousand liters' of water resources are saved. Kolmar Korea is planning to present the paper-sticks on the market at the point of the second half with the proposal of client companies.