Shellworks unveils world’s first compostable pipette dropper

UK – Shellworks, a biotech packaging startup company, has unveiled the “world’s first” fully home-compostable pipette dropper, an advancement in sustainable packaging for the beauty and wellness sectors.

This innovation marks a new dawn in sustainable packaging, as it is recyclable compared to conventional pipette droppers, which are often made from a combination of glass, rubber, and plastic.

According to the company, the new fully home-compostable pipette dropper is designed to reduce the properties of glass, ceramic, plastic, and rubber while allowing it to decompose as a single unit when disposed of in a home composting environment.

The realisation of this innovation is made possible by their proprietary material, Vivomer, which is naturally plastic-free, petroleum-free, and free of toxic additives and substances derived from waste biomass through fermentation.

Shellworks secured £4.6 million (USD 6.1 million) in seed funding in 2022 to support the development of this innovation.

Shellworks co-founder & chief product officer Amir Afshar remarked, “Brands no longer have to choose between sustainability and shelf appeal.

“We designed this dropper to feel as good as it looks, and to disappear responsibly when it’s no longer needed.”

“This represents a fundamental shift from sustainability as an add-on to sustainability as the foundation of product design.”

Currently, Shellworks can produce 2.4 million units of its dropper solution annually, with plans for further expansion to meet the increasing demand for sustainable packaging.

This advancement by Shellworks is already in use by several brands, including Abel, French beauty company Eclo, People, Planet (formerly known as Haeckels), and hair care brand Sam McKnight.

Additionally, Shellworks has successfully replaced more than 90 tonnes of conventional plastic with its innovative biodegradable solutions, thereby making significant environmental contributions.

Shellworks materials lead Jay Gaston emphasised, “We engineered Vivomer to be a truly industrial material- it’s precise, resilient, and beautiful when moulded. This dropper proves that even the smallest, most technical packaging challenges can be solved with the right material platform.”

Shellworks is committed to engaging with ten brands across the UK, EU, and US, and is backed by a team of 24 innovators, and has shipped more than 1.8 million packaging solutions globally to scale this innovation across the packaging industry.

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