Browsing by Author "Iivanainen, Josefiina"

The study examines consumers’ views about cosmetic packaging. Previously, this topic has been studied as the acquisition of packaging at the store in which the focus has been on the color, materiality, and ecology. Natural and organic cosmetics have recently gained scholarly interest, yet, the packaging itself has not. This study is interested in what the visuals, colors, materials and recycling aspects of cosmetic packaging mean to consumers. The phenomenon is examined as the use of packaging and from the perspective of everyday aesthetics at home. The data was collected as pair interviews (n=12) using semi-structured theme interview and stimulus material (biodegradable cosmetic packaging). The interviewees were 26–67 years old. The data was analyzed by using qualitative content analysis. This study contributes to the discussion about aesthetic meanings of cosmetic packaging by focusing on the ecological aspects and the challenges related to recycling. Earlier studies have mainly studied food packages. In this study, cosmetic packaging was seen as a part of everyday aesthetics and the items were seen as visually pleasing and a part of interior decoration. Consumers associated the visual aspects and colors with their identity and self-expression. On the one hand, the packaging conveys about everyday and affordable cosmetics, and on the other hand, about luxurious and high-quality cosmetics. Through the packaging material and colors, consumers conclude how ecological of the product and packaging. Consumers combine the material of cosmetic packaging and the amount of material with the environmental friendliness and recyclability of the packaging. Consumers identify the prevalence of plastic use, the overpacking of cosmetics and the empty space of packaging as ecological challenges for cosmetic packaging. With regard to packaging material, more choice was seen in food, and the purchase of food was also perceived to be more important from an ecological point of view than the purchase of cosmetics. Recycling is challenged by unclear materials for consumers, multi-material packaging, different coatings and the fact that packaging cannot be easily emptied. Consumers therefore wish clearer recycling instructions for packaging. The recycling of packaging inks proved to be an unknown topic. However, in the case of color recycling, the materiality of the colorant, its separation from the packaging material, and the toxicity and harmfulness of the colors to nature were considered.