Podcast 267: The packaging fees coming for the beauty industry

Packaging is about to get a whole lot pricier for beauty brands, and it’s not just a minor cost increase.

With eco-modulation fees, plastic taxes, and new packaging regulations rolling out across the UK, EU, Australia and beyond, the rules around what your beauty product is wrapped in are shifting fast. In some cases, brands may pay up to 70 times more for plastic packaging than for paper.

In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier – Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist and CEO of Formula Botanica – is joined by Renata Daudt, Director and Principal Consultant at AWEN Packaging Consulting, and a globally experienced chemical engineer, to discuss the new packaging regulations and considerations for beauty brands.

Together, they break down the new regulations, from mono-material mandates to reporting obligations, and reveal the most overlooked packaging pitfalls that could cost your brand money and credibility.

If you think using glass or bioplastics means you’re safe, think again. This episode busts packaging myths and gives you real-world insights into how recyclability varies dramatically across borders – and even between local authorities.

Tune in to learn why now is the time to futureproof your beauty packaging before regulators and fees catch you off guard. Don’t miss this conversation: it could save your business thousands.

“It’s not just about choosing packaging that looks sustainable – it’s about knowing whether it will be recycled where your customers actually live.” — Renata Daudt

In this episode with Renata Daudt, you will hear:

• Why new packaging regulations are being enforced in the EU, UK, and Australia. How the new regulations will impact beauty brands globally.
• What eco-modulation fees are. How some materials are taxed significantly more than others.
• The importance of mono-material packaging. Why monopackaging is best and why mixing plastics or using coloured glass could land your product in a landfill.
• Why brands need to understand the recycling infrastructure in each market they sell to. How this affects design decisions.
• How indie brands can make smarter packaging choices. As an indie brand, you can avoid hefty penalties and deliver true circularity.

Key takeouts include:

• Packaging fees are no longer a theoretical risk –  they are happening now. In the EU, the PPWR regulation has come into effect and mandates fees based on material type and weight. The UK is following EPR and plastic tax regulations. These changes mean brands must track, report, and in many cases, pay for their packaging choices.
• Mono-materials are your safest bet for global compliance. Renata explains that when different materials are fused (such as pumps with metal springs or multi-layer plastics), they often become unrecyclable. Mono-material designs, or at least easily disassembled ones, are most likely to be recycled and cost less in eco-modulation fees.
• Not all glass is created equal. Coloured, frosted or mirrored glass may look beautiful, but many local recycling systems can’t process them, particularly in Australia. Transparent glass is often required for proper recycling, and failure to meet these standards could result in extra fees or waste.
• Labelling matters more than you think. If your product doesn’t have the correct recycling label or fails to inform consumers how to dispose of the packaging, you could face penalties. Renata stresses that even small beauty brands need to make room for this vital information, either on-pack or through boxes and digital content.
• Sustainability isn’t one-size-fits-all. Materials like bioplastics, refillables, and compostables may seem appealing, but without proper infrastructure to collect and process them, they may do more harm than good. Brands must align packaging decisions with regional infrastructure, not just sustainability trends.

Meet our guest: Renata Daudt, Director and Principal Consultant at AWEN Packaging Consulting

Renata is the Director and Principal Consultant at AWEN Packaging Consulting, where she guides businesses through complex packaging regulations and helps them adopt sustainable practices.

With over 15 years of global experience as a chemical engineer, she has worked with packaging manufacturers and recyclers across Europe, the Americas, and APAC.

Her mission is to eliminate packaging waste from landfills by championing innovative, sustainable solutions. She is transforming how producers, suppliers, designers, and retailers approach packaging – moving beyond recycling to true circular economy solutions.

Find out more about Renata and AWEN Packaging Consulting:

• Website: awenconsulting.com
• Instagram: @awen.consulting
• LinkedIn: Renata Daudt | Awen Consulting

Special freebie for listeners: Grab your free Sustainable Packaging Start Guide from Awen Packaging Consulting

Love this episode? Listen next:

• Episode 118: Plastic is not the enemy: we are
• Episode 265: How Pact Collective is cleaning up the mess the beauty industry left behind

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please share, subscribe and review this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Lorraine Dallmeier

Lorraine Dallmeier is a Biologist, Chartered Environmentalist and the CEO of Formula Botanica, the award-winning online organic cosmetic science school. Read more about Lorraine and the Formula Botanica Team.