- Sweeps global awards with eco-friendly packaging innovations, including paper tube, paper stick, and paper pack
- Ranked No. 125 on TIME's "World's Best Companies for Sustainable Growth 2025," the only K-Beauty company on the list
SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 15, 2025 -- Kolmar Korea, a global cosmetics ODM company, is strengthening its commitment to "clean beauty." From eco-friendly packaging to raw material and formulation development, as well as sustainable production processes, the company is enhancing its ESG management to secure differentiated competitiveness in the global market.
The company's eco-friendly packaging has garnered the most attention. In 2020, Kolmar Korea introduced the paper tube, the industry's first eco-friendly container to successfully achieve commercialization. It reduced plastic usage by 80%, is designed for easy separation of paper and plastic, and is durable enough to withstand over 50 kg of weight. In 2023, it developed the paper stick with mineral paper, cutting plastic use by 86%. Designed to peel away layers of paper, the stick allows consumers to use the entire product without waste, balancing sustainability with practicality. This April, the company unveiled the one-hand pump paper pack, a milk-carton-inspired design that integrates a pump function. Made from 100% recyclable materials, it provides both user convenience and the eco-friendly attributes global consumers demand.
These innovations have earned international recognition. The paper tube and paper stick achieved a "grand slam" in design by winning the world's top three design awards—IDEA, iF Design Award, and Red Dot Design Award. The one-hand pump paper pack also won a Red Dot Design Award this year, further validating the global competitiveness of Kolmar Korea's eco-friendly packaging.
Beyond packaging, Kolmar Korea is strengthening clean beauty in raw materials and formulations. In 2022, the company developed an eco-friendly extraction method using sunflower, lingonberry, and starflower that reduced carbon emissions by 83% while boosting active ingredient efficacy by 870%. Applied in its 2023 clean beauty sunscreen, this innovation earned Korea's Ministry of Environment "Green Technology Product" certification. That same year, Kolmar Korea replaced microplastics in color cosmetics with natural silica, a mineral known for pore care and sebum control, improving texture and stability while advancing both functionality and sustainability.
Kolmar Korea is also driving low-carbon and eco-friendly manufacturing. The company joined the K-RE100 initiative in 2022, pledging 100% renewable energy use by 2050. At its key Sejong plant, expanded solar facilities in 2023 cut approximately 143 tons of CO₂ emissions. The company also operates a dedicated division targeting "zero landfill waste," reducing landfill rates and boosting recycling through systematic sustainability management.
These wide-ranging efforts have gained global recognition. In 2024, TIME magazine ranked Kolmar Korea No. 125 on its "World's Best Companies for Sustainable Growth 2025" list, the only K-Beauty company included, affirming its leadership in eco-friendly practices in the global market.
A Kolmar Korea spokesperson said, "Developing eco-friendly technologies is not a short-term achievement but a core business strategy to enhance the sustainability of the entire industry. We will continue to demonstrate leadership as a company driving sustainable growth in the global beauty sector."
About Kolmar Korea
Kolmar Korea is a global cosmetics ODM headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. The company is recognized for innovation in formulation, packaging, and sustainable manufacturing, partnering with leading beauty brands worldwide. Through ESG-driven management and continuous R&D, Kolmar Korea advances clean beauty and eco-friendly solutions to shape a more sustainable future for the global beauty industry.
Media Contact
Kolmar Holdings
Jang-Woo Lee
jay.lee@kolmar.co.kr
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