All the bells and whistles on modern beauty advent calendars lead the format, at first glance, to appear a sustainability nightmare.
The beauty segment has been pushing itself to become more luxurious than ever, as brands and retailers attempt to win over shoppers during the pre-Christmas ‘golden quarter’.
But while the bolder design of today’s calendars would seem to necessitate the use of potentially wasteful materials, Pippa Bell, Head of Beauty at packaging designer Hunter Luxury, says this is not the case.
“There has been a huge evolving movement with advent calendars, and the industry has come far in trying to make them as sustainable as possible,” says Bell.
This is being done without compromising on the luxury appeal of these Christmas products, adds Bell, who states there is an opportunity for calendars to be seen as “more than just packaging”.
“It can be a lifestyle product, with the unique bespoke storytelling of the brand that is serviced [by packaging companies] through their design,” she adds.
Here are the packaging techniques and materials used to create these show stopping, yet still sustainable, calendars.
Out with the old
Selfridges' 2024 beauty advent calendar
Selfridges is largely credited with popularising the beauty calendar back in 2010, but the format's initial designs have drastically evolved over the years.
Original calendars went with a traditional ‘wardrobe’ style, says Bell, with far more “high energy designs and technically-engineered rigid boxes”.
These relied on lamination, however, a polypropylene (PP) film that Bell says remains at the centre of debates around its actual recyclability.
“Businesses would lean towards a laminate of some sort to put a protective film onto the advent calendar,” adds Simon Dipple, SVP of International Business Development at packaging company BellaGiada.
Packaging companies have been working to reduce laminates, adds Dipple, but this has not been simple as calendars still need a “degree of protection”.
Not ones to back down from a challenge, manufacturers have developed cellulose-based laminates made using natural fibres without petrochemicals.
Laminates are not the only material that has been swapped out by packaging companies, with plastic ribbons having been replaced by near-identical paper counterparts.
Dipple says there have been huge advancements in the development of paper-based ribbons within the last five years – with consumers being hard-pressed to tell the difference.
“You get all the benefits of having something that looks like a ribbon, but without the concern that it is not quite as silky as something that is effectively polyester-based,” Dipple explains.
The amount of foil applied to the paper has also seen dramatic decreases, while fixtures and closures now make use of tab-orientated designs rather than magnets.
Bell says it is also rare to find an advent calendar that does not use FSC greyboard sheets.
Although not all brands have gone down this route, Bell claims there has been an overall reduction in the size of beauty calendars as well.
A lot of investment has gone into creating near-identical packing flourishes, but Sarah Mwathunga, Senior Strategist at Design Bridge and Partners, says this is necessary to keep the luxury feel of advent calendars.
“People want these magical unboxing experiences, and they want to feel as if they are buying a luxury piece,” says Mwathunga.
“Because the majority of these advent calendars can cost hundreds of pounds, there is a need for excess packaging to make it valid that you are spending more.”
Reusable revolution
Lush launched two reusable advent calendars in 2023
Refillable and reusable advent calendars have also become increasingly available for consumers looking to invest in the annual Christmas product.
Lush launched two reusable calendars in 2023 and followed this up with its debut refill option this year for those who have previously purchased the calendar.
The British beauty brand joins the likes of L’Occitane’s fabric Reusable Calendar, which was released in 2020 and can be refilled or folded and transformed into a travel vanity.
Hunter Luxury, which created Charlotte Tilbury's advent calendar in 2023, also designed it with reusability in mind.
The box-shaped style comes with numerous drawers which can be used to store items after all of the products have been uncovered.
It is also made from FSC greyboard and the jewel handles use removable screws so they can be reutilised for second-use purposes.
However, Dipple says there is still a tradeoff between eco-friendly materials and protection when it comes to reusable and refillable advent calendars.
“You have to make them from a more substantial material so it has got at least a four- or five-year lifespan,” Dipple explains.
Those materials still have to be recyclable and the box also designed in a way that it can be deconstructed easily.
Dipple continues: “You do not find yourself stuck in the middle where you have created something that is only going to last for one or two Christmases and then ends up in the landfill.”
There can also be an inherent downside with reusable calendars for businesses without a strong brand identity or theme.
“They work well with brands that are very well established, but if you have got a hyper-modern brand that is being regenerated seasonally then this kind of perpetual advent calendar idea is not going to work,” Dipple explains.
Dipple says for more established beauty businesses, such as Jo Malone London, consumers will understand and recognise the brand’s style immediately.
“Keeping something in that nature year-on-year will be less difficult for Jo Malone London, but for some of the more native brands this is going to be much more challenging for them,” Dipple adds.
Christmas isn’t cancelled
Jo Malone launched its debut beauty advent calendar in 2024
With all the time and investment going into sustainable and reusable alternatives to advent calendars, is it simply time to scale back on selling Christmas beauty goods in general for the planet’s sake?
Mwathunga says this is not the answer and is confident that, with the work being done by packaging companies and suppliers, sustainability and Christmas can “coexist”.
“How much can we take away from the fun part of Christmas, with consumers getting to explore a wonderland of different ornaments and magical products?” she continues.
“It is just making sure the materials that we are using are recyclable, and considering more about how we are packaging those products.”
The second step is also getting consumers on board with proper recycling habits and encouraging them to invest in reusable calendars.
This can be challenging, as it is simply less exciting to buy a refill versus a brand new and exciting calendar each year.
However, Mwathunga believes consumers can be willing to change the way that they shop.
“I do not think it is the case of us reducing what we create, because we live in a capitalist society, but it is about being creative and reimagining the packs that we create and the things that we design,” Mwathunga concludes.
“By doing that, we can keep that Christmas spirit alive.”