Ollie Moore, strategy director, Path
When it comes to sustainability, the beauty and personal care industry isn’t so pretty: over 140 billion units of packaging are produced each year, emptied in a few weeks or left half-empty in the cupboard.
Microbeads and microplastics, travelling from sink to sea, cause irreparable damage to marine life. VOCs in fragrances and hairsprays contributing to air pollution, and palm oil in 70% of cosmetics playing a role in existential-grade deforestation.
This really jars with the values of its consumers, who are becoming more conscious of these discrepancies, thanks in part to watchdog platforms, like Estee Laundry and Think Dirty, have built awareness of ‘greenwashing’ and given people the tools to see through empty claims.
Brands must think bigger than PR-able green schemes and deliver real change. Changes can be in product; replacing potentially harmful ingredients with eco-friendly ones, like microbeads for coffee-grounds or plastic for bamboo.
Changes can be made in pack; like switching to bi-product materials or compostables, playing with pack format to reduce waste material, or removing packaging completely.
Circular models can be used to decouple consumption from environmental cost, and there are even carbon positive solutions that actively heal the planet.
It’s a chance to improve brand experiences, to innovate new products and services, and to make competitive strides and standout amongst consumers. Beauty doesn’t need to be bad business for the planet. The brands that succeed in the future are going to be the ones making it.
Read the full post on Inside-Packaging