The Commercial Director of RAFESA, Daniel Sánchez, represented the company at Cosmetorium and gave a talk to express a specific idea: “everything is connected and even more so in terms of sustainability”. This was the premise explained by Daniel Sánchez in one of the most stand-out talks at the fifth edition of this event organised at the Palau de Congressos de Barcelona on 28 and 29 September.
His talk highlighted a necessary holistic approach to sustainability in the cosmetics packaging sector. “Partial sustainability or sustainability only when we feel like it is not an option”, added the spokesperson for RAFESA, before asking the audience to reflect on a few questions. What’s the point of committing to a sustainable container if the contents are not sustainable? What’s the point of investing in better materials if we ship products over long distances that entail huge emissions in transport alone? What’s the point of only using recycled glass if we have halogen lamps turned on all day at our warehouse?
Over the course of half an hour, Daniel Sánchez shared an idea with professionals from the sector that sustainable packaging should be approached from a holistic perspective. “In order to be truly efficient, we should all act as one rather than individual separate parts”, he said. In other words, action should be taken from an all-encompassing standpoint that involves manufacturers, designers, producers and especially consumers.
He also called for analysis, proactive innovation and reflection, especially in terms of the debate on the most sustainable materials. The Commercial Director of RAFESA believes it is not merely a matter of choosing materials that are produced more sustainably but rather those that are most sustainable throughout their entire life cycle (production, transport, use, recycling). “Not everything is good and not everything is bad. What is more sustainable? Glass or plastic? The answer is: it depends. Plastic is not the devil and glass is not the best material ever”, explained the representative from RAFESA.
The weight of the product, the energy cost of recycling, etc.; these are all factors that the company believes should be considered in terms of their real sustainability before a decision is made. “The key lies in not turning a blind eye: sustainable packaging requires us to work together, holistically and always pro-actively in search of balance, which, according to Aristotle, is where all virtue in life is achieved”, concluded Daniel Sánchez.
