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Packaging: The Stepchild of Sustainability in Beauty Industry?
Although packaging has the highest environmental footprint of cosmetic
products,
it appears to be largely
ignored when beauty companies look at sustainability.
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Organic Monitor finds that
beauty
firms are
focusing on green formulations, resource efficiency and life-cycle
assessments of their products when developing sustainability plans.
Although companies are aware of the environmental impact of
packaging, they have been slow to embrace sustainable packaging
solutions. |
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Even
organic
cosmetic companies – many of which have sustainability built into
their corporate ethos - are lagging in adopting sustainable
packaging. Such companies have been pioneers in adopting natural &
organic cosmetic standards, implementing fair trade
&
ethical sourcing programmes,
and broader CSR initiatives but few are focusing on reducing their
packaging footprints.
With consumer interest in ecological products continuing to
strengthen and sustainability high on the corporate agenda, the
beauty industry appears to be
behind
in adopting sustainability packaging initiatives. For instance, the
food industry is embracing ecological packaging whilst food
retailers are reducing the use of plastic carrier bags. Organic
Monitor finds that organic fruit & vegetables sold in most European
supermarkets now have some type of bioplastic packaging. Consumers
buying ‘chemical-free’ products are demanding ecological packaging.
Whilst organic foods are meeting consumer expectations, natural &
organic beauty products are not.
Although there is growing research in bioplastics packaging, there
remain few cosmetic applications. High heat sensitivity and water
permeability prevent such packaging to be used for products such as
creams, lotions and shampoos. Biopolymers are mainly used in colour
cosmetic cases. However, companies
like Mirel aim
to overcome existing limitations by improving performance of its
biopolymer packaging. The company is developing bioplastic materials
to replace petroleum polymers such as Polypropylene (PP),
High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
(ABS) and Polycarbonate (PC).
Most beauty company are looking at recycled packaging materials.
Some natural cosmetic companies, such as Neal’s Yard Remedies are
using Post Consumer Regrind (PCR) Poly Ethylene Terephthalate
bottles. Burt’s Bees
is
going further,
making a
commitment
to use only 100 percent recycled / biodegradable
materials
by 2020.
The US
company has
pioneered the use of Terra Skin Wraps, a
mineral-based
alternative to
paper packaging for bar soaps.
Organic Monitor finds Aveda to be the frontrunner in adopting
sustainable packaging solutions. The company is one of the few
cosmetic companies to give priority to packaging
on
its sustainability
agenda.
It
is the largest user of PCR plastic in the beauty industry, saving
over 1 million pounds of virgin plastic
each year. Aveda has also recycled 37 million polypropylene caps
through its ‘Recycle Caps with Aveda’ campaign. The campaign
involved setting up recycling bins in schools, retailers and beauty
outlets. Aveda products now contain 80% or more recycled materials.
The company has also reduced carbon emissions by using wind energy
to power its Minnesota manufacturing plant.
Eco-packaging design is another method of reducing the packaging
footprint. Some beauty brands such as Nude Skincare have developed
sleek packaging that is both stylish and environmentally-friendly.
Reducing packaging in design has enabled the Greek brand Korres to
save 11 tons of plastic materials a year.
A few pioneers are taking a holistic approach to sustainable
packaging. Apart from Aveda, Method Products has adopted the
Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C) design approach. Instead of designing
cradle-to-grave products, dumped in landfills at the end of their
lives, this approach involves creating products for cradle-to-cradle
cycles whereby the materials are perpetually circulated in closed
loops. C2C design ensures packaging is environmentally responsible
and packaging materials are recovered after the product is used.
Although beauty companies are undertaking a number of initiatives to
lower the environmental impact of their products, relatively low
progress has been made in packaging. Some companies are focusing on
raw material sourcing and product life-cycle assessments, others are
focusing on water, carbon and other resource usage. With packaging
having such a high footprint, it seems to be the stepchild when
beauty firms look at sustainability.
Sustainable
Cosmetics Summit
The gamut of sustainable packaging options available to beauty
companies were
featured in
the 3rd edition of
the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit, which took place in Paris on
18-20th
October
2010.
The
summit looked at recycling, reducing and reusing packaging
materials, as well as bioplastics, eco-design and the C2C design
approach. An interactive workshop gave a practical guide to
companies looking to adopt sustainable packaging solutions.
Sustainable packaging will again be featured in the next edition of
the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit, taking place in Paris
on
28-30th
November
2011.
More
details are on the
website
Related Report:
#7091-60
Strategic Insights: CSR & Sustainability in the Beauty Industry
Posted:
August 19th 2010
For permission to publish our research articles, please contact our
Press Department
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