By Plasteurope.com staff

German start-up Sea Me (Hamburg; www.sea-me.com) now also offers its reusable packaging solutions for cosmetic products (of the Zerooo brand) in PET containers. The 330 ml bottles, which are available in clear, milky white, and brown colours, are produced by Alpla (Hard, Austria; www.alpla.com).

In addition to Sea-Me’s own brands, the cosmetics and body care products sold by Sodasan Wasch- und Reinigungsmittel, I+M Naturkosmetik Berlin, Speick Naturkosmetik, Denttabs, and 4peoplewhocare are also to be available in returnable PET bottles in Germany from September onwards. Additionally, drugstore chain Müller joins the PET pooling service with products sold under its own Aveo brand.

Each returnable container has a laser-engraved, individual 2D data matrix code, which can be used to retrieve information about the contents and the number of rounds run around the value chain loop. Empties can be returned for a deposit of EUR 0.50 at around 1,000 collection points. According to Sea Me, drugstores, supermarkets, concept stores, hotels, and zero waste shops are part of the network where consumers can return the bottles at reverse-vending machines for PET beverage bottles.

From October, other cosmetics manufacturers are also to launch their products in returnable PET bottles in Austria. Around 100 return points have now been set up in the Alpine republic.

The Hamburg-based start-up was founded in 2019 by Lars Buck. Since then, it has been selling vegan cosmetics and care products in reusable glass bottles under the Sea Me brand.

— Translated by Christopher Köbel