Pact Collective has expanded its NewMatter initiative with the recent launch of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sheets made entirely from post-consumer material collected through its take-back program. The launch builds on the nonprofit’s ongoing efforts to create scalable, circular solutions for hard-to-recycle beauty and personal care packaging.
“The sheets are designed to demonstrate circularity that you can hold in your hand,” Carly Snider, executive director, Pact Collective, told CosmeticsDesign. “Not only does it confirm that the material is diverted from landfills or incinerators when returned to Pact, but it also provides a fun way to give this material another life in beauty.”
The HDPE sheets, made from high-density polyethylene collected through Pact’s return streams, are intended for rigid applications including retail fixtures, soap dishes, and other keepsake items. While not a technical upcycling process, the program aims to keep recovered materials within the industry.
“We aim to tell a story to consumers about their tangible, real impact,” Snider said. “Through these sheets, they can see and feel the impact they are making.”
Early adoption in retail environments
Retailer Credo Beauty, a founding member of Pact, was among the first to implement the new HDPE sheets, and “recently installed a beautiful countertop made of these HDPE sheets in one of their store locations, as well as other in-store applications,” she shared.
In addition to retail fixtures, participating brands are also using sheet-derived items for gifting and education. “We have members utilizing our soap dishes and keepsake items for various purposes, including gifts with purchases (GWPs), employee gifting, public relations (PR) gifting, staff education, and consumer education,” she added. “Both of these applications are excellent for reducing the use of virgin materials.”
Overcoming production and sourcing hurdles
Transitioning from recycled resin to manufacturing sheet material required significant development. “Due to the different material feedstock and intended application, we had to start from scratch and wanted to shift to domestic production,” said Snider. “We found an incredible partner willing to collaborate on our custom needs.”
This move also allows for greater control over quality and closer alignment with Pact’s mission of localized, closed-loop solutions.
Expansion plans and future material streams
While the HDPE sheets currently serve functional and storytelling purposes in retail and consumer engagement, Pact is looking ahead to broader applications. “We plan to use these HDPE sheets in the future for actual Pact drop-off bins,” Snider confirmed.
In parallel, the nonprofit continues to explore expansion into other material streams. “We also intend to expand our resin offerings to include other materials like PET [polyethylene terephthalate] and HDPE, depending on the volume we collect and the feasibility of application,” she said.
While NewMatter is exclusively commercially available to Pact members at this time, she concluded, “we would love to welcome anyone interested in leveraging NewMatter within the beauty industry.”
