British skincare brand Elemis and Xampla, creator of natural materials brand Morro, have announced a collaboration to develop plastic-free biodegradable sample sachets.

The initiative aims to see left-over plant waste from Elemis product ingredients turned into biofilm, with the long-term goal of replacing single-use sachets used to package samples of its skincare products.

Based on Xampla’s proven Morro materials made from plant feedstocks, the companies will utilise their expertise over the next six months to turn Elemis’ plant waste into heat-sealable films that can replace single-use plastics.

Sachets are a popular format for consumers and brands alike, however, there has so far been an unmet demand for plastic-free alternatives to traditional multilayer barrier sachets.

The project has been supported by a grant co-funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Innovate UK.

Morro natural materials will be extensively tested to demonstrate its market capabilities when used with Elemis products.

Oriele Frank, co-founder, chief product and sustainability officer at Elemis, said: “Elemis continues to innovate and investigate new ideas, and partners wherever possible with organisations that can help move the dial on key environmental or social challenges.

“What we find so exciting about this project with Morro is how utilising waste from left-over plant material can potentially tackle one of our key packaging dilemmas too.

“This project further reflects our commitment to finding new opportunities to have a positive impact on the planet and people throughout our value chain.”

The partnership was facilitated by PlasticFree.com, founded by Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet.

Sutherland added: “We are proud to have united two forward-looking British companies that, together, can steer us away from plastic packaging with entirely new materials, created from discarded waste. This is the kind of inventive and collaborative approach that is required to create change in the industry and to facilitate the next generation of packaging.”