The challenge
FusionPKG, which formed in 2004, helps beauty brands stay ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving industry by delivering innovation, premium quality, exceptional customer service and unrivaled speed to market.
FusionPKG provides end-to-end package and formula solutions with package manufacturing facilities, an in-house formula lab, and a full-service team of industry experts. The company places sustainability at the center of its corporate values and believes in working toward and advocating for 100% collection, recycling, and repurposing of plastic packaging.
But could it offer brands more sustainable solutions without compromising its signature cutting-edge design sensibilities?
Eastman and FusionPKG have a long-standing relationship and a shared drive to meet industry needs through packaging innovation, along with a desire to mainstream sustainable packaging. Naturally, FusionPKG was eager to try out Eastman’s new portfolio of sustainable resins, including Cristal Renew copolyesters, featuring high levels of certified recycled content,2 and Cristal One, a portfolio of recyclable resins engineered to meet the exacting demands of thick-walled packaging for luxury cosmetics.
For FusionPKG, the introduction of these new resins felt like a packaging epiphany—enabling the switch to a more sustainable material without compromise to the color, clarity, or performance needed to bring its designs to life. There was also no need to retool, making for a quick and pain-free transition.
“With Cristal One recyclable resins and the broad portfolio of Eastman Renew materials, FusionPKG now can offer a more sustainable solution without compromise across our extensive portfolio,” said Daniel Campbell, FusionPKG’s senior sustainability and packaging engineer. “What really stands out with these resins is how they allow us to create the crystal clear, high-end packaging we are known for while still supporting key sustainability initiatives from our brands.”
"What really stands out with these resins is how they allow us to create the crystal clear, high-end packaging we are known for while still supporting key sustainability initiatives from our brands."
Daniel Campbell,
Director of Package Engineering,
FusionPKG
The Eastman solution
FusionPKG loves that Eastman’s new sustainable portfolio includes all of the high-performance, crystal clear copolyesters brands have relied on for decades—now with high levels of certified recycled content. This means that FusionPKG can help brands advance the sustainability profile of their packaging quickly and easily without compromising their brand image.
What’s more, Eastman now offers Cristal One, a portfolio of recyclable resins—featuring Cristal One, Cristal One Pro, and Cristal EN and their corresponding Renew grades. Cristal One Renew gives brands both recycled content and recyclable packaging options in a single resin solution. Each product in the Cristal One portfolio addresses a particular application need, enabling FusionPKG to create a wide variety of packaging designs for skin care and color cosmetics—from thin-walled bottles to luxury thick-walled jars up to 12 mm.
Cristal One meets the California/ASTM guidelines for Resin Identification Code 1 (RIC1) designation and has achieved APR Critical Guidance recognition for recyclability. Additional recognitions are under review.
“We are thrilled to be working with FusionPKG. Their sleek, cutting-edge design sensibility was just what we were looking for to highlight the performance and design freedom offered by our new sustainable range of products,” said Tara Cary, segment market manager for Eastman cosmetics and personal care. “With our new Cristal portfolio, we are able to bring together the best of both worlds—recycled content and recyclability—and still provide the superior performance that brands and innovative design houses like FusionPKG demand for their packaging today.”
Not only do Cristal Renew and Cristal One give FusionPKG a way to meet its sustainability goals, FusionPKG believes in Eastman’s reputation, technical expertise, and support.
The result
In June 2021, FusionPKG launched five distinctive, custom packaging creations using Eastman’s new Cristal portfolio, including the much-lauded Max Out collection featuring an atmospheric bottle and doe-foot bottle with merchandising-friendly designs. In addition to the Max Out collection, an airless bottle and a modern ampule dropper launched using Cristal Renew as well as a skin care jar made with Cristal One.
These new products use Cristal One as well as other sustainable resins with high levels of certified recycled content from Eastman’s Cristal Renew portfolio. Cristal One is also available as Cristal One Renew with up to 50% certified recycled content generated by Eastman's molecular recycling technologies.
1Compared to resins made from fossil-based resources
2Recycled content achieved by allocating the recycled plastic waste to Cristal Renew using a mass balance process certified by ISCC.
