Hydro and CHANEL Partner on Low-Carbon Aluminium for Beauty Packaging

Hydro and CHANEL Fragrance and Beauty have signed a strategic partnership to develop lower-carbon aluminium for fragrance, makeup and skincare packaging, with a joint roadmap running from 2026 to 2030.

The initial work will use Hydro REDUXA primary aluminium sheet ingot produced in Norway with renewable energy. The material has a certified carbon footprint of no more than 4.0 kilograms of CO₂ equivalent per kilogram of aluminium, according to Hydro.

Under the partnership, the companies aim to bring the carbon footprint of aluminium packaging to around 3.0 kilograms of CO₂ equivalent per kilogram by 2030. The program will also examine batch-specific production, improved traceability and the use of aluminium recovered from end-of-life products.

The material supplied initially will be rolled into aluminium sheet for packaging applications. Hydro and CHANEL Fragrance and Beauty will assess ways to reduce its carbon footprint while maintaining the quality and design requirements of luxury fragrance and beauty packaging.

The companies will also study the use of higher recycled aluminium content. No specific recycled-content target was disclosed as part of the partnership.

Hanne Simensen, executive vice president of Hydro Aluminium Metal, said customer requirements can help drive development of lower-carbon materials. Hydro will combine its aluminium portfolio with low-carbon and circular aluminium solutions as part of the work, she said.

Julien Garry, chief operations officer at CHANEL Fragrance and Beauty, said the partnership reflects the company's focus on reducing the environmental impact of materials used in its products while maintaining product standards.

The partnership comes as aluminium producers and downstream users face growing pressure to reduce emissions and improve material traceability across supply chains. Hydro said its REDUXA aluminium has a carbon footprint of less than one third of the global average, based on its stated 4.0 kg CO₂e/kg threshold.

Source: Hydro

SUNSHINE Spotlight: Hydro and CHANEL will work through 2030 to develop lower-carbon aluminium packaging, starting with REDUXA primary aluminium and exploring greater traceability and recycled content.