Newsletter Archive
June 2010
Three Questions for Michael Barner
They look lovely, the Dr.Hauschka products with their golden lettering and the colourful labels on cartons, tubes and pots. But an attractive appearance is not the only important aspect of product packaging. Michael Barner is part of the WALA team responsible for purchasing packaging materials and explains what else has to be taken into account.
1. What is important to WALA when selecting packaging?
We take a number of criteria into account when deciding on packaging. For instance, the material must conform to pharmaceutical specifications and be recyclable if it is to meet WALA quality standards. It is especially important that there is no interaction between the packaging and the product – the product itself must remain pure and natural. But we also cooperate with the Marketing department to make sure that design and functionality complement each other – the packaging has to appeal to our customers. Moreover we purchase our packaging materials from local suppliers. This gives us a high level of reliability, apart from the environmental aspects.
2. Dr.Hauschka Skin Care packaging will soon bear the NATRUE seal of quality. What do you pay attention to when changing the packaging?
WALA uses FSC carton and paper from sustainable forestry for its cartons. For the most part the packaging will be of the same form and material composition after the changeover to NATRUE: the materials we use are tried and tested and thus offer the necessary safety and reliability. It is also important that we do not destroy packaging as part of the changeover to NATRUE, but phase the change in gradually. Only when the old stocks of a packaging material are used up will we introduce the new packaging with the NATRUE logo. This, too, is in line with our standards for sustainable business practices.
3. What part does the packaging play in the stability of the products?
The packaging materials play an important, even crucial part in the stability of our products. Good packaging offers the contents optimal protection against microbial contamination – and this is of utmost importance for natural skin care products in particular. Whereas conventional skin care product manufacturers use parabens, for example, as preservatives, Dr.Hauschka Skin Care avoids synthetic preservatives completely. For this reason we have to ensure – by means of our packaging, among other things – that our products are sufficiently stable. We perform extensive storage tests to be sure that the packaging chosen offers good protection for the product.
