Summary
Discover how we partnered with Benefit Cosmetics to create sustainable, high-impact packaging for its new BADgal Bounce Mascara. The goal: deliver a striking, fully recyclable carton with a metallic finish and reverse-printed interior — all without plastic lamination. Using FoilKote® technology and an efficient one-pass production process, Smurfit Westrock met the brand’s aesthetic and environmental standards while ensuring supply chain flexibility and scalability across Europe.
The Challenge
Globally renowned cosmetics brand Benefit Cosmetics was looking for standout packaging for the launch of its new BADgal Bounce mascara — packaging that would also reflect its sustainability values. The vision was clear, with ambitious requirements:
- A high-impact metallic finish that mirrored the shine of the mascara bottle
- A seamless unboxing experience, featuring reverse printing on the inside of the carton
- A recyclable solution — without relying on plastic-laminated board
It was a complex challenge for our designers. Combining premium aesthetics with structural integrity — all while ensuring recyclability — demanded both technical innovation and precision.
The Approach
At Smurfit Westrock, we welcome challenges like these. Our solution? Leverage our FoilKote® technology — a unique process that allows cold foil to be applied directly to recyclable paperboard at the start of printing. This eliminated the need for plastic lamination while still achieving the same luxurious metallic finish.
Production took place at our Obersulm plant in Germany, where we combined FoilKote® with advanced reverse printing capabilities to achieve a flawless, high-impact result— inside and out — in a single efficient print pass.
Benefit Cosmetics also required a flexible and secure supply chain for this launch. To ensure agility and resilience in the supply chain, we built in scalability with twin capabilities at our Tczew plant in Poland, providing manufacturing flexibility and reliable output to meet any level of demand.
The Result
The final result of this partnership is a striking, recyclable carton that mirrors the high-impact design of the mascara bottle — inside and out — while reinforcing Benefit Cosmetic’s commitment to responsible beauty packaging. By streamlining production into a single, efficient print pass, we reduced material waste, shortened production times and lowered overall costs. Benefit Cosmetics didn’t have to compromise on design to meet its sustainability goals — proving that luxury and sustainability can go hand in hand.
Through close collaboration, we developed a sleek packaging that stands out on shelves, creates a memorable unboxing experience and is supported by a smart, scalable production model—built with demand flexibility, speed and sustainability in mind.
