Since his joining SR Packaging in 2012, it's apt that Eric Wu has been named as the company's latest CEO. Benefiting skills in sales, marketing, human resources and supply chain, Eric Wu's multi-skill international background is presenting SR Packaging with a new business outlook.

How will your skills and experience benefit the leadership of a company as renowned as SR Packaging?

I've worked in the packaging industry for many years now and taken advantage of every opportunity to get to know the full reach of the beauty market. With international experience in both the private and public sectors in the Americas and Asia, I've gleaned a unique perspective of enterprise which I believe is integral to leading a successful business.

SR Packaging's manufacturing skillfulness is well known across the beauty industry. We already invest significantly in research and development in order to maintain our place as a leading supplier of creative packaging solutions and will continue to do so. The packaging industry has been shaken up with new environmental requirements in place by consumers and brands, in addition to new regulations and this is allowing us to highlight our already extensive sustainable portfolio and our manufacturing expertise.

Under my leadership, SR Packaging will continue to broaden its client base in addition to forming strategic alliances with our partners and exploring new sales opportunities. We will continue to develop and enhance proven technologies and sustainable packaging choices too.

During lockdown, we set up a stock and supply service for a variety of bottle volumes to customers in the US. While this started as a response to COVID19, the service has proven popular, offering local customers an excellent choice that can be tailored to their requirements and be delivered with immediate lead times of 1-2 days. We're now looking at how we can enhance this service further.

How would you describe the industry now, and what developments do you foresee?

The beauty packaging industry has been moving at a faster pace during the past few years. Customers are demanding innovative packaging in addition to sustainable and green packaging. This demand for innovative green packaging is not new, however, consumers have become more vocal about their desires and are actively making sustainable choices, to which brands have responded. Formulations too are embracing natural content and it is logical to the consumer to purchase a natural skincare product in packaging which is respectful of the environment.

The circular economy is key to making green packaging sustainable so that waste is reduced to such a level that it is negligible. At SRP, we are developing increasingly more packaging solutions based on circular economy concepts. For example, biomass plastics along with refillable options are part of our sustainable packaging offerings and other innovations are in the pipeline.

We believe that brands, packaging companies, and consumers need to work more closely together to make sustainability a reality. For the circular economy to truly work, we all need to play our part.

What has been the progression of development for SRP's recent sustainable packaging?

Our ECO Airless Bottle was launched in early 2019 to offer a reduced plastic choice. This was followed that summer by the PCR airless bottle, the PCR airless tottle and the PCR airless tube. Since then we've also launched refillable PCR options.

Our innovations help to drive green initiatives. The patented ECO Airless Bottle is SRP's answer to the growing consumer demand for the use of recycled plastic in packaging. A significant advantage of our ECO Airless Bottles is their unlimited design potential and reduced weight. The bottles' can be manufactured in volumes from 15ml to 200ml, making them ideal for most skincare, toiletry, cosmetic and even home care commodities.

We have also received much positive feedback from skincare companies about formulation compatibility with the product as the EVOH barrier ensures product integrity for products with alcohol content, such as eau de toilette. It also protects essential oils or Vitamin C from being oxidized in the air or spoiled through exposure to light.

This useful feedback opens up new opportunities for us to recommend the utilization of our airless bottles and pumps for more products and across a range of markets in response to the new clean, eco-conscious, and strawless movements.

Also, facilitating new opportunities is the fact that the ECO Airless Bottle can feature either a pump or a spray dispenser to suit the needs of the product, allowing brands to make the airless choice that is the most appropriate. An advancement of this concept is our Airless Shuttle. It features 3 refillable bottles in a single pack and brands can choose either pumps, sprayers, or both options to be included within the pack.

We have also been working on a 360 Degree Sprayer that can be used upside down, or indeed at any angle, as an alternative feature product.

Does the company note different product trends from its various locations?

Fashion and trends develop differently across regions based on consumer behavior and local values. Brands have their own unique agenda and visions for what the next trend will look like. We customize our service and ensure our local support —in Shanghai, New Jersey, and Tokyo— can respond immediately.

We also tailor our production lines to service these trends most effectively. For example, our R&D center and HQ are in Taiwan, which is also the manufacturing location of our ECO Airless bottles and capacitates our agility to respond to customers through direct communication.

It's a really interesting time to be working in the packaging industry right now. Both brands and consumers are demanding, while legislation is being brought in around the globe to work sustainably and save on plastic usage. Along with the advancements in digital technology, this is all allowing packaging manufacturers the opportunity to be more creative than ever, so our agility to respond to all these different trends will be what distinguishes us and cultivates our growth.