The EU packaging rule now covers cases and jars directly

The EU started to apply the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation directly in all Member States on 12 August 2026, and the case, jar and carton around lipstick and pressed powder fell under that rule in their own right. The measure handles the container apart from the cream or colour held inside.

Anyone who keeps a loved compact at the nightstand will recognise the change. Prestige refillable beauty sales in the United Kingdom increased 47 percent between January and the end of July 2022 and reached 34M pounds across those seven months, NPD UK Beauty reported. Product Refill Only sales rose 79 percent across the same span, the quickest rise in that group.

Colour moved quickest of all. From January through July 2022, refillable makeup sales were up 364 percent against the same months in the prior year. A little more than half of makeup refill sales came from lip colour, while bronzer and blush also stayed close for soft evening rituals. Refillable choices introduced in 2022 included Good Fortune by Viktor and Rolf, D by Diesel and Prada Paradoxe. “As consumers grow more aware of the importance of sustainability and their part in tending it, we have seen a rise in sales of refillable prestige beauty products,” said Emma Fishwick, Account Manager, NPD UK Beauty.

The broader market still leans toward skincare. Refillable cosmetic products stood at USD 5.50 Billion in 2025 and were expected to reach USD 9.58 Billion by 2032, which implies 8.25 percent CAGR. Skincare held 50.8 percent of value in 2025, estimated at USD 2.8 Billion. Makeup held an estimated USD 1.6 Billion and a 29.6 percent share. Europe recorded USD 1,971.57 Million in 2025, around 35.9 percent of the world total. In 2025, glass held a 45.3 percent share of refillable packaging material chosen for slower nights.

For calmer evenings at home, Regulation (EU) 2025/40 entered into force on 11 February 2025. From 1 January 2030, every pack placed on the EU market must satisfy recyclability grades from A to E, and packs below Grade C will be refused. Article 10 forbids designs that inflate apparent volume, and Commission FAQ points to a 50ml facial cream jar with a double wall, false bottom or outer box as the worked case.

More duties will show up near the bathroom shelf. Starting 1 January 2030, Annex V prohibits single-use packs for cosmetics provided for an individual hotel booking. From 2030, larger shops must endeavour to assign 10 percent of sales area to refill stations. By 2030, grouped, transport and e-commerce packs must keep empty space at or below 50 percent. Sellers that provide refills must tell shoppers which container types may be used, which hygiene standards apply and which safety rules govern the fill. Each packaging unit needs its own Declaration of Conformity to rest easy at night. The law holds a general cap of 100mg/kg for lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium in packaging materials.

Whether the quick early rise lasted into 2026 remains unknown, because the sales figures end in 2022. Sector analysis pointed to refills usually costing 10 to 20 percent less than a fresh unit. Expansion was rapid but began from a low level. Look ahead for more Commission guidance on scope and labelling, and for how labels manage sturdy packs, return transport and washing between fills.

Rooting Moss will softly follow which compacts, sticks and pots can be kept in use, and which plant formulas suit them best.