Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, has completed new consumer research exploring attitudes towards refill packaging in the beauty and personal care sector across Europe.

Amcor’s Amprima refill pouch paired with Mocha bottle and Wave pump, a compatible, recycle-ready system for refill packaging.

Highlights:

• Data base – 2,749 consumers surveyed across six major European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and UK

• Finding – 66% of consumers reporting purchasing a refill pouch within the last 12 months

• Conclusion – refill packaging is now well established across personal care categories, including shower and bath products, haircare, and handwash liquid soap

Sustainability and affordability drive purchase decisions

The research highlights the nuanced factors shaping consumer attitudes toward refill packaging, with affordability emerging as the strongest driver of future adoption:

• 86% expect refill products to cost less than the original packaged product

• 69% say they would buy more refills in the future if prices were lower

Sustainability remains a key influence on purchase decisions:

• 81% of respondents are more likely to buy personal care refill pouches if they are recyclable

• 74% are more likely to purchase refills packaged in recycled plastic

Availability and visibility hinders future adoption

While consumers are becoming more receptive to refill formats, distribution and visibility remain key barriers to uptake:

• 45% would buy more refills if they were easier to find in-store or added to online orders

At the same time, nearly half (49%) of those respondents who don’t buy refill products say the reason is they cannot find their preferred product or brand in a refill format, limiting potential adoption.

This highlights an opportunity for retailers to give refill solutions greater prominence on the shelf, including positioning refill pouches alongside the corresponding rigid bottles and jars to improve visibility and encourage purchase.

Convenience as key for long-term adoption

Reducing environmental impact remains a priority for consumers in refill purchases, but convenience must not be compromised for wide-scale adoption to occur. The research found that ease-of-use remains critical to long-term habit changes.

Respondents pointed out key frustrations for using refill packaging are:

• Perceived product waste from spills (35%)

• Messiness during refilling (29%)

These challenges highlight the importance of integrated refill systems, where refill pouches and reusable bottles are designed to work together to enable a cleaner and more intuitive refill experience.

However, one-third (33%) of respondents say they experience no issues at all when using personal care refills, highlighting the opportunity for brands to build loyalty through refill systems that are clean, intuitive and effortless to use.

By allowing consumers to continue using a familiar bottle while simply replenishing the product through a refill pouch, brands can make refill an easy and accessible part of everyday routines, encouraging repeat use and supporting long-term adoption.

“Consumer expectations are not the only factor driving the growth of refill packaging. Regulations such as PPWR are also accelerating the move towards circular packaging systems across Europe, making refill formats an increasingly important focus for personal care brands,” said Lara Alemany, Product Line Director in Wellness and Beauty at Amcor.