Shellworks tackles beauty waste with world's first compostable pipette

Sustainable packaging pioneer Shellworks has unveiled a game-changing innovation set to tackle one of the beauty industry’s most overlooked waste culprits - the pipette dropper.

After two years in development, the world’s first fully home-compostable pipette has launched, offering a scalable, shelf-ready alternative to the fused plastic, rubber and glass components traditionally used in serums, oils and a whole host of wellness products.

Despite their small size, pipette droppers represent a significant and persistent waste stream. Due to their mixed material construction, they typically evade recycling systems and end up in landfills or incineration, contributing millions of unrecycled units to global waste each year. Shellworks’ new dropper promises to change that narrative.

It is made entirely from Vivomer, Shellworks’ award-winning, plastic-free material derived from waste biomass such as plants. Through fermentation, Vivomer transforms into a resilient, mouldable and completely biodegradable substance that performs like plastic, rubber, glass or ceramic but effortlessly decomposes in a home compost environment.

Amir Afshar, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Shellworks, said: "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."

Shellworks, which raised £4.6 million in seed funding in 2022, is already working with well-known brands including Wild, Abel, Eclo, People. Planet (formerly Haeckels) and Sam McKnight.

Dr Jay Gaston, Materials Lead at Shellworks, added: "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."

The London-based company is currently capable of producing 2.4 million compostable pipette units annually, with room to expand production in line with demand. To date, Shellworks has already replaced over 90 tonnes of conventional plastic, shipping over 1.8 million packaging units worldwide.