Tesem and Constellium Join Forces to Close the Loop of Aluminium Recycling

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Tesem relies on the qualities of aluminium to meet the durability and aesthetic expectations of luxury perfume and cosmetics brands. The Spanish group has partnered with Constellium to reduce the carbon footprint of its production of packaging components.

Thanks to its visual and sensory qualities, aluminium has long been a key material in luxury packaging. For Tesem, it is also a key asset in facilitating in the transition towards greater sustainability.

“Of course, brands will have the final say, but we have hardly any doubt about their willingness to reduce the amount of plastics used in their products. From this perspective, aluminium represents a first-rate alternative, thanks to its aesthetic qualities and its endless recyclability,” explains Patrick Bousquel, the newly appointed Marketing and Sales Director of the Catalan group.

Recycling loop with Constellium

However, the aesthetic requirements of the luxury industry are not always compatible with the specificities of recycled aluminium. Actually, a large part of available volumes comes from lower grade food packaging and cannot be not readily used to make high-end packaging components.

To overcome this difficulty and provide a recycled aluminium with the same performance and appearance as virgin metal, Tesem has partnered with Constellium, an aluminium supplier that also has recycling capabilities. As part of this partnership, aluminium scraps not used by Tesem are returned to Constellium to be re-melted and re-rolled so that they can be reused.

“We have built a closed loop between our factory and Constellium. We therefore reuse luxury grade aluminium in our products based on a mass balance calculation. This reduces CO2 emissions by up to 70% compared to virgin aluminium,” says Patrick Bousquel.

The solution is claimed by Tesem as a “low-carbon” aluminium offering.

“Tesem’s approach to aluminium demonstrates our commitment to our customers to meet their needs for beauty packaging combining luxury, innovation and environmental responsibility,” emphasizes Albert Sala, Tesem Group’s CEO.

 Courtesy: www.premiumbeautynews.com