L'Oréal and Estée Lauder redesign packaging ahead of EU and California EPR rules

L'Oréal expects to save roughly USD 1m a year in extended producer responsibility fees by removing metal decals from one Garnier shampoo once California's SB 54 packaging law takes effect in 2028. Estée Lauder has spent about two and a half years developing a recyclable paper sachet to replace multi-layer laminate samples, as both companies adjust packaging ahead of the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, due later this year, and California's producer-responsibility programme.

Why this mattersShows brand owners quantifying EPR cost savings from material changes, a signal that PPWR and SB 54 are starting to drive concrete packaging redesign decisions at scale.

• L'Oréal projects about USD 1m in annual EPR fee savings by removing metal decals from one Garnier shampoo once California's SB 54 takes effect in 2028.
• The EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation takes effect later in 2026; California's Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act takes effect in 2028.
• Estée Lauder spent about two and a half years developing a globally recyclable paper sachet to replace its multi-layer laminate sample packets.
• Estée Lauder has run an EPR compliance algorithm for 20 years, originally built with recycler Strategic Materials to validate glass recovery from small fragrance bottles.
• L'Oréal has joined a Closed Loop Partners coalition, alongside Kraft Heinz, Target and P&G, to retrofit material recovery facilities for small-format rigid plastics.

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