PLASTIC POLICY | ||
Packaging Information |
Liquid products: These products have an outer bamboo case with inner plastic tube that is removed after each product is finished. All the plastic we use is recyclable PET plastic for your reference, unless otherwise stated. Refills are sold in shrink wrap recyclable plastic.
The quality of our raw materials is also of paramount importance. That’s why we are always looking for new natural ingredients to ensure our products are the best that nature can offer. Among these ingredients are the micronised silver powder which, in addition to being an excellent skin-friendly preservative, has amazing antiseptic properties. Although it is very expensive, we have chosen to use it in almost all of our products.
Our pressed powders are plastic free, as they are based in a tin pan and are encased in our bamboo packaging. Refills are sold as a tin pan only. We use biodegradable cardboard envelopes for our compact powder refill packaging.
Mineral Silk Powders have an inner plastic insert and sieve, so that the product can be carried in a handbag without spilling the contents. The inner part is the refill and has a recyclable plastic lid to hygiene-seal the product on purchase.
Foundation Sticks, Shine-Up Sticks and Blush Sticks feature a bamboo case outer and inner recyclable plastic casing to hold the Stick in place. The refill is packaged in recyclable shrink-wrap plastic.
Lipsticks, lip balms, lip scrubs and concealers feature an inner plastic tube and mechanism, which comprises the refill. The refill is packaged in recyclable shrink-wrap plastic.
Pencils currently feature a plastic lid, although we have put forward a case for swapping to metal lids. These are not refillable.
Nail Polishes are sold in a glass bottle with bamboo lid, although it does require a small amount of plastic inside to make the screw mechanism function. These are not refillable.
Our Nail Polish Remover is sold in a glass bottle with bamboo lid and minimal inner plastic screw mechanism.
Our liquid foundations, primers and BB Creams use recyclable PP plastic and are free of outer packaging.
Our pre-filled eyeshadow palettes are packaged with cardboard wrap.
Our Rectangle Refill Eyeshadows and Eyebrow Powders are sold in biodegradable cardboard envelopes.
POSTAL PACKAGING
We use recycled cardboard boxes or environmentally friendly padded bags for posting. The bags are padded with recycled paper fibres. We use eco paper tape to seal our packages.
For cushioning our delicate makeup products, we use biodegradable eco peanuts made from corn starch. These degrade readily when exposed to water, so can be put in your landfill or compost bin. Some of our customers have not seen these before and have mistaken them for polystyrene packaging peanuts, but the difference is clear when you expose them to water. Furthermore, these peanuts have also been recycled to further reduce waste. Eco peanuts have been in existence for decades and do an amazing job of replacing toxic polystyrene chips.
Eco Box Recycling Scheme
The Zao Eco-box is a collection, recycling and recovery solution for used refills, sticks, bottles, tubes and buckets entirely designed by the Zao brand. It takes the form of a small cardboard collection box available at Zao 'bricks and mortar' shop retailers, guaranteeing the recycling and recovery of the packaging collected.
Zao is in the process of removing its bamboo pouch packaging from the range, following feedback that a significant portion of customers did not use these pouches and preferred to see us reduce waste further. The pouches will be available to purchase separately for gifting purposes.
We use paper labels, having mastered the technique of printing on paper, but discontinued products may still feature the plastic label until stocks deplete.
Zao has introduced a new PLA packaging for its accessories and makeup brushes. PLA is a plant-based, biodegradable plastic alternative. Most of our accessories are now available in new PLA packaging. Please check individual item descriptions for further details.
You may wonder why we do not use bioplastic. As a global brand, we need to ensure that our packaging is recyclable for all customers, but bioplastic recycling is not available in many countries as yet. Watch this space for further developments!
We are continually innovating our product range and packaging to offer the best solutions available to further reduce plastic waste, as new innovations become available.