Earth Day comes around every April 22, but we should be thinking about the planet year-round—and some beauty brands do just that. “Burt’s Bees believes in connecting people to the beauty, wisdom and power of nature, which means it’s our responsibility as a business to protect the beauty and diversity of nature,” says Paula Alexander, Director of Sustainable Business and Innovation for Burt’s Bees. “After all, we are a part of nature and nature holds many of the solutions to some of our world’s most complex problems. Beyond our philanthropic work such as our Half-Earth Project support, our commitment to nature extends into our ongoing business practices. We’ve been carbon neutral certified since 2015 and land-fill free since 2010. Our responsible sourcing programs focus on key ingredients and communities, such as our Community-Sourced Beeswax in Tanzania and Shea in Burkina Faso.” Burt’s Bees has spent over a decade supporting honeybee health since the onset of colony collapse disorder and through this work, they’ve impacted over 145,000 acres of pollinator forage. Species extinction rates are currently 1,000 times higher than any point in history, which is why they joined the conservation efforts of the Half-Earth Project. “Bee species worldwide are now under severe threat from habitat loss and climate change,” Alexander says. “This is in the face of an undeniable fact: human and bee health are intrinsically linked to the health of the natural world. Roughly 75% of global food crops benefit from animal pollination. Yet, we know that pollinator populations are declining across both wild species and more managed species, like honeybees, for which US colony losses last winter were 31%, up from 28% the prior winter. With the Half-Earth Project, Burt’s Bees is committing to map 6,000 bee species, which are seen as vital ‘keystone species’ central to the survival of many ecosystems worldwide. Mapping the bees will strategically inform which areas we conserve and how.” Show your support by taking the Half-Earth Pledge.     That isn’t Burt’s Bees’ only ecological effort. On average, their products are 99% natural and over half are 100% natural. They source their ingredients responsibly, tracing, evaluating and monitoring their raw materials. “In 2017, Burt’s Bees began investing in key ingredient sourcing partners to reinforce strong, mutually beneficial partnerships with local communities,” Alexander says. “Through site visits and collaboration, these investments help provide things like access to clean water, women and children’s empowerment, health and safety, and biodiversity.” In addition, Burt’s Bees’ packaging is made with an average of 37% post-consumer recycled content, and people can recycle all of their packaging through their Recycle On Us program with TerraCycle. You can help take part in their biodiversity commitment by wearing the limited edition Earth’s Bees lip balm. These beauty brands are also giving back for Earth Day: Kiehl’s Made Better x John Legend Limited Edition Rare Earth Mask, $25, kiehls.com. In honor of Earth Day, Kiehl’s teamed up with John Legend to create a limited edition of their popular Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque in a travel-sized jar designed by the celebrity. In the US, 100% of net profits of the special edition mask, up to $25,000, will go to the Earth Day Network (EDN) to support EDN’s Great Global Cleanup, which is taking place in 13 cities across the country on Earth Day. Plus, the product’s packaging is eco-friendly: the label is made with 100% post-consumer recycled materials and the jar is made with 30% post-consumer recycled plastic. Myro "Do Good Sh*t" Set, $20, mymyro.com. Unisex plant-powered deodorant brand Myro aims to be healthier for your body and the planet. Myro features a reusable and refillable case to cut down on plastic, and each pod is made with 50% less plastic than the leading deodorant companies. The deodorant is made without aluminum, parabens, triclosan, propylene glycol, steareths, phthalates or talc. During the month of April, 100% of proceeds of the Do Good Sh*t sets will benefit 1% for the Planet. The kit includes a refillable deodorant case in moss green (to cut on plastic), one refill pod in woodsy scent Cabin No. 5, a plant power pin, and a reusable travel pouch. Juice Beauty USDA Organic Treatment Oil, $42, juicebeauty.com. During Month of April, to celebrate Earth Month, Juice Beauty will donate $1 from every sale of their USDA Organic Treatment Oil to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which advocates for the use of safe ingredients in beauty and personal care products. Juice Beauty is proud of their eco-values year-round. The brand is vegan and cruelty-free, they use wind and solar power manufacturing, their product boxes are made with recycled and sustainably-sourced FSC certified paperboard and printed with vegetable-based inks and sourced in the US. They never use harmful ingredients in their products, and use at least 70% organic ingredients in all of their formulas. They recently purchased a 20-acre sustainable farm in Healdsburg, CA, and are in the process of making it certified organic so they can eventually source ingredients there. The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Clay Wash, $16, thebodyshop.com. This new foaming face wash features bamboo charcoal from the Himalayas and kaolin clay and Community Trade tea tree oil from Kenya, leaving skin feeling matte and fresh without overdrying. And just like every other product from The Body Shop, it can give back. The Body Shop just joined forced with the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) in celebration of Earth Day. Loyalist members of the Love Your Body Club (it’s free to sign up) can earn points for shopping and then donate them to the NPCA. Esker Firming Body Oil, $40, eskerbeauty.com. Designed to reduce the appearance of cellulite and lift the skin, this firming oil features plant-based oils, including juniper berry to hydrate and firm, as well as macadamia nut oil, rosehip seed and baobab oil to soften skin. In celebration of Earth Day, Esker is donating $2 of each purchase on EskerBeauty.com to Xerces Society, an organization dedicated to preserving pollinators. Bonus: If you spend over $50, they will include a free dry brush and free shipping (use code "BRUSHED4BEES" at checkout until 4/23). Captain Blankenship Mermaid Sea Salt Hair Spray, $24, captainblankenship.com. Beachy waves are just a spritz away with this texturizing and moisturizing hair spray. It contains Atlantic sea salt for texture, organic aloe vera for moisture and light hold, organic sea kelp extract with vitamins and minerals to nourish the hair and scalp, and geranium and palmarosa organic essential oils for a beachy rose scent. Even better, Captain Blankenship is part of 1% For The Planet, meaning they donate 1% of all profits. Meow Meow Tweet Lavender Coconut Milk Shampoo Bar, $12, meowmeowtweet.com. The shampoo bar was made for your hair, but you can use it on your entire body—you’ll want to spread the lovely floral fragrance around. Hemp seed oil and coconut milk deliver hydration and nourishment. Since it’s bottle-free, it has a much smaller carbon footprint than your typical shampoo. And, it goes for a good cause, since Meow Meow Tweet supports many organizations with ongoing monthly donations, which have included Earthjustice, The Ocean Cleanup and Farm Sanctuary, to name a few. Limited Edition Youth To The People Earth Day Cleanser, $54, youthtothepeople.com. Just for Earth Day, Youth To The People’s Superfood Cleanser is available in a luxe size, so you can refill your bottle to cut down on waste. Plus, $1 from every bottle sold will be donated to organizations working to protect the planet. The cleanser is good for your face, too, thanks to the superfoods blend of spinach, kale, green tea, alfalfa, and vitamins C, E and K. LAVANILA The Healthy Deodorant, Vanilla + Water, $14, LAVANILA.com. For Earth Day 2009, LAVANILA joined the Nature Conservancy's “Plant a Billion Trees” mission, and planted a tree for every order placed on lavanila.com during the month of April. But the healthy deodorant brand realized there was still much more to be done, so they are committed to the program until the Nature Conservancy reaches its goal of 1 billion trees.

When we think of our wellness journey from a You. We. All.perspective, we’re inspired to build a better future for everyone (our planet included!). We know you want to help make a difference, so this year we've teamed up with Target in an exciting partnership to launch Social Good, a new platform where you’ll find stories on some of the most important social and environmental movements going on today. The cool part? Most of these stories include an actionable way you can help make the future brighter—right now.   This year, we’re using Earth Day as an opportunity to shed some light on all the good we’ve managed to accomplish in the first 111 days of 2019. Here are 19 environmental feats worth celebrating.

6. Brands signed onto the reusable economy.

In the not-so-distant future, you’ll be able to order household staples like cleaning supplies and ice cream in reusable packaging that will be collected from your doorstep once you’re done with it. It’s all thanks to Loop, a new initiative by recycling company TerraCycle that wants to make single-use packaging a thing of the past and already has buy-in from major players like Unilever, P&G, and PepsiCo.

This report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market. Pune, India - September 11, 2018 /MarketersMedia/ — This report researches the worldwide Plastic Waste Management Services market size (value, capacity, production and consumption) in key regions like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (China, Japan) and other regions. This study categorizes the global Plastic Waste Management Services breakdown data by manufacturers, region, type and application, also analyzes the market status, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis.     Plastic waste management service is a collective term for various approaches and strategies used to recycle plastic materials that would otherwise be dumped into landfills, or bodies of water, or otherwise contaminate the environment. The idea behind this type of waste management is to utilize those discarded materials to manufacture new plastic products without the need to actually generate additional plastic materials. Doing so can help lower production costs as well as protect the environment. With shifting preference towards recycled plastic, demand for recycled plastic is anticipated to increase, which in turn, will drive the global plastic waste management market. Various food & beverage companies are focusing on increasing the amount of recycled plastic in their bottles as part of their new sustainable strategy. Global Plastic Waste Management Services market size will increase to xx Million US$ by 2025, from xx Million US$ in 2017, at a CAGR of xx% during the forecast period. In this study, 2017 has been considered as the base year and 2018 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Plastic Waste Management Services. This report focuses on the top manufacturers' Plastic Waste Management Services capacity, production, value, price and market share of Plastic Waste Management Services in global market. The following manufacturers are covered in this report: B.Schoenberg & CO., INC. Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies, Inc. REPLAS Clear Path Recycling PLASgran Ltd. Custom Polymers, Inc. Carbon LITE Industries LUXUS Ltd. wTe Corporation KW Plastic, Inc. Kuusakoski Group Shanghai Pret Composites Co., Ltd. Republic Services, Inc. Reprocessed Plastic, Inc. 4G Recycling Inc. Vanden Global Ltd. TerraCycle The WasteCare Group

Earth Day is the perfect day to pause and reflect on how you can have a greater role in protecting the planet. As intimidating as that may sound, we’re here to assure you that you can start small and get as involved as you want to be. There are plenty of organizations to get involved in, as well as simple beauty swaps and choices you can make to lead a more eco-conscious lifestyle. Ahead, learn how some of our favorite beauty brands are encouraging you to get involved this Earth Day, including Garnier’s ongoing beauty empties recycling program and a face mask from Kiehl’s supporting Earth Day Cleanup 2019.

 

Upcycle Your Beauty Empties with Garnier

Since 2011, Garnier and Terracycle have diverted over 11.7 million beauty empties from landfills through their partnership. Together, they upcycle useful materials into garden beds, park benches, lumbar playgrounds and more. To get involved in the program, simply sign up online to print a free shipping label and keep track of your personal impact.

 

Give Back by Purchasing a Kiehl’s Face Mask

Kiehl’s Made Better™ is a platform focused on Kiehl’s ongoing efforts in sustainability. This year, the brand partnered with John Legend to design a limited-edition version of the Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Mask. In the United States, 100% of the net profits (up to $25,000) will benefit the Earth Day Network in support of the Earth Day Cleanup 2019. Learn more about the cleanup, including how you can get involved online.

 

Add the Myro Do Good Sh*t Set to Your Cart and Give Back

Refillable, plant-powered (and chic) deodorant brand Myro teamed up with 1% for the Planet, a global network of businesses, nonprofits and individuals working together for a healthier planet. Together, they created the Do Good Sh*t Kit, a limited-edition set that includes Myro’s Moss Green Reusable Case, Cabin No. 5 Refill Pod and a canvas travel pouch. When you purchase a set, Myro will donate 100% of the proceeds to 1% for the Planet.

 

Pick Up a Some Recyclable Makeup Brushes With Moda

Upgrade your makeup brush routine with Moda Renew, a new five-piece brush kit featuring handles made from biodegradable cellulose material. To go along with its eco-friendly brush kit, Moda is partnering with Terracycle to encourage customers to send in their brushes to be recycled. When you recycle through the program, Moda will send a 30% off coupon code to use for your next purchase.

 

Plant Trees with Moonbox

Moonbox, a beauty subscription box based on the lunar cycle, has a partnership with Trees for the Future — a nonprofit that helps communities around the world plant trees. For every box sold on the site, Trees for the Future plants a tree. According to the brand, they’ve already donated over 18, 200 trees.

 

Protect the Planet with Youth to the People

If you tend to stick to the clean section of Sephora, then you’ve probably come across Youth to the People and its bestselling cleanser. For Earth Day, the brand is launching a jumbo-size version of the gel cleanser that’s 16 ounces (8 ounces larger than the traditional size). It’s housed in the brand’s signature recyclable glass bottle and $1 from every purchase will be donated to organizations working to protect the planet.

Got a burning question about climate change? “You Asked” is a series where Earth Institute experts tackle reader questions on science and sustainability. To submit a question, drop a comment below, message us on Instagram, or email us here. Today’s question comes via our Earth Month Q&A on Instagram: 

Are there eco-friendly garbage bags? 

Answer provided by Phebe Pierson While there are some options for slightly less wasteful trash bags out there, they’re not the best. You could go for bags made from 100% post-consumer-recycled plastics, meaning that no new plastic was created to make the product. But these will sit in the landfill just like any other plastic bag. There are also compostable/biodegradable options, although these tend to be more expensive and less sturdy. Seams can easily break and the bags don’t really stretch. Plus, while “compostable” sounds promising, they don’t break down in landfills either; the material used to make these types of bags is meant to be disposed of in high-heat industrial composting facilities. Most landfills don’t get to the temperatures needed for compostable bags to break down, meaning they will essentially mummify along with the other trash in the landfill. This is true of “bioplastic” bags, cups and utensils, too, by the way. One advantage of compostable trash bags is that they won’t eventually turn into teeny tiny bits of plastic in the ocean. But when you really look at what’s collecting in the ocean, it’s more likely shopping bags, water bottles, and other single-use items that are easily blown around, not full trash bags. In fact, most microplastics that end up in our water come from clothing made with plastic materials like nylon, spandex, and polyester. The only surefire way to be truly eco-friendly about trash bags is to create less trash, so you don’t need as many! To do that, here are some tips to reduce your waste:

1. Compost your kitchen scraps. See if your neighborhood has curbside pickup by the NYC Department of Sanitation. If not, check out GrowNYC’s drop-off locations (including farmers market and DSNY Compost-on-the-Go locations) and the Lower East Side Ecology Center. While these options are NYC-specific, most cities will have similar options.If none of these work for you, there are also private companies who will arrange to come pick up your food scraps, or creative at-home processing solutions. And if you live somewhere with a backyard, you can keep a low-maintenance composting set-up going outside.
2. Use reusable bags and containers for everything at the store—you don’t have to stop at the totes. This includes produce (you can use small mesh or cotton bags for produce instead of using the clear plastic ones), fresh fish or meat (use a large Tupperware!), and more.
3. Buy in bulk instead of pre-packaged. Your local Whole Foods or health food store will likely have a bulk section with dry pantry and baking goods. This is a great place to test drive your new BYOB(ag) mission; bring bags, jars, and Tupperware, and make sure to weigh them before filling. That way the cashier can charge you properly for just the weight of the food you bought. Bonus: buying in bulk is usually cheaper! There are also a bunch of companies out there that offer bulk refill programs for household products, so you can refill your bottle at home and then send/bring back the empty bulk bottles.
4. The farmer’s market is a great place to find packaging-free seasonal produce, fish, bread, cheese, and more. Another bonus: it’s local, so it’s fresher and fewer greenhouse gas emissions were created to get it to you. And you’ll get to talk to the people who actually grew what you’re buying!Find a market near you through GrowNYC Greenmarkets, Down to Earth Markets, and Harvest Home Markets.
5. When you do buy packaged items, try to get things in glass, metal, or paper. Glass and metal are easily recyclable, and if paper gets food on it can be composted instead of recycled.
6. When your old household items wear out, replace them with items made from natural, recyclable, and/or renewable resources. For instance: compostable bamboo toothbrushes, wooden dish scrubbers, refillable all-natural floss, toothpaste packaged in a recyclable metal tube, or toothpaste tablets that come in a glass jar. The internet is full of clever zero-waste life hacks!
7. Recycle every little thing you can! Check out DSNY’s website to see everything you can recycle at home. TerraCycle is a great resource for the harder items like protein bar wrappers.

This is a long list and it may seem overwhelming, but you won’t be doing all these things at once. Always use up what you have before replacing it—no need to throw something perfectly functional away just because it’s made of plastic. But if you start aiming for zero waste every time you need something from the store or every time you need a new item at home, you’ll start making a big difference over time. I wish you luck in your zero waste journey! Help fund climate research by Earth Institute experts here. The more we know, the better we can protect our planet.

In 2017, the global cosmetics industry was valued at 532 billion dollars. A ton of beauty products are purchased and used every single day. Eventually, those products turn into empty packaging that needs to be disposed of. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the 2015 rate of recyclable materials like plastic, glass, and paper actually being recycled was only at 34.7 percent. That means that the majority of foundation bottles, moisturizer jars, and shampoo and body wash bottles (as well as other pieces of household waste) are going into landfills. As a beauty editor, I test a lot of products. So many, in fact, that I rarely finish an entire bottle of shampoo or jar of moisturizer. I’d like to say that I always rinse out each and every one of the products I’m no longer using, then recycle the bottles accordingly. The truth is, though, I don’t — and part of the reason is, I didn’t always know how, or if the products can even be recycled in the first place. Do I have to rinse out everything before I recycle it? Are there any containers that can’t go in the trash? Can I mix the empty packaging from all of my products in the same recycling bin? These are the questions I ask myself every time I’m ready to dispose of a beauty product. And, when I’m not sure one of my products can be recycled, I just throw it in my bin and hope for the best. It's called “wish-cycling,” and as I learned while researching for this story, it’s exactly what you shouldn't be doing. That’s why one of my 2019 goals is to make sense of it all so that I recycle more of my beauty products and throw less in the trash. RELATED: Here's What Actually Makes a Deodorant Natural To demystify the process, I spoke with Alita Kane, community liaison of The Recycling Partnership, a non-profit organization that provides recycling consulting to communities nationwide. I gave Kane the task of breaking down general recycling rules, and how they apply to your beauty products. Check out her advice below.

1. Recycling Plastic Can Be Complicated, So Find Out What's Accepted In Area

Most of your beauty products likely come in plastic packaging (and the rest are likely in glass, but more on that later). Given the recent war waged on plastic straws and the impact the material has on the environment, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that plastic should be a priority. The only problem is that all plastic is not created equal. “The challenge is that plastic comes in so many shapes, forms, and sizes,” says Kane. “To narrow down what can actually go in your bin, stick to bottles, containers, jugs, and tubs.” This can include products like shampoo bottles, moisturizer jars, and body wash bottles. Kane says that recycling availability is different across the country, and is constantly changing — often at a pace that people can’t keep up with the latest information. The rules aren't consistent across the board, so before recycling your products, you'll want to do some digging on your local city hall and/or sanitation department websites for information. However, she says that one of the biggest factors affecting what your municipality will pick up is which manufacturers are getting sent these materials. When your recycling is picked up curbside, it’s brought to a material recovery facility (or MRF). Then, it’s sorted, packed into bales, and sent to manufacturers for reuse. “Depending on who that MRF is, and who they have purchasing their materials, locally and internationally, is really going to make a difference on what your municipality is able to allow you to put in that recycling bin,” she explains. RELATED: These Natural Lipsticks Have Amazing Color Payoff

2. That Arrow Symbol You Learned In School? It Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means

When I see a three chasing arrow symbol (also known as the Möbius Loop) on one of my products, I always assume it means it’s made of recyclable materials. It turns out that the chasing arrows, and the number that appears in the middle of the symbol, indicate the type of resin that the package is made from. Technically, that packaging is only recyclable if that resin is accepted by your area’s curbside recycling program. “These arrows are not an indicator of recyclability,” confirms Kane. “There is no one out there policing whether or not a company can put that symbol on their products, so a lot of times it’s misplaced. It doesn’t indicate recyclability as much as it tends to indicate the contents of the product packaging and what type of resin material it’s made from.”

3. Shape And Size Matter

If you’re like me and throw lipstick tubes and sample-sized serums into your recycling bin, Kane says you could be doing more harm than good. Product packaging that’s too small usually gets lost when it’s being sorted. Kane says a good rule of thumb is to leave anything that’s smaller than an index card out of your recycling bin. These items unfortunately have to be tossed into the trash, or recycled by a third party program (more on that later). As for the shapes of packages, the materials need to be hard. Anything that’s flexible or squeezable — tubes of toothpaste, hand cream bottles, and sheet mask pouches — can’t be recycled. RELATED: The 8 Best Non-Toxic Sunscreens for Summer 2019

4. Yes, You Need To Rinse Your Empties

A few drops of shampoo left in the bottle is perfectly fine, but if there’s almost enough in bottom for you to shampoo your hair with, you’ll need to take the extra step to clean it. If liquids co-mingle with other recyclable materials like paper and cardboard, it can get everything wet and ultimately ruin its ability to be recycled. Kane says that if the if the recyclable materials cross-contaminate, they can’t properly be sorted and processed, and thus can’t be repurposed into new materials. Removing any adhesives or glitter stuck on product packaging is also important for the same reason.

5. Pay Attention To Caps And Pumps

Plastic caps are too small on their own to be recycled, but if they’re left on the bottle or jar they came with, you can put them in your bin. As for pumps, check to see if they have a metal ring in them. “Technically that would be a mixed material so you wouldn’t want to have that together,” says Kane. Take the pump off, put that part in the trash, and then put your empty lotion bottle in the recycling bin.”

6. Glass And Paper Are Pretty Simple To Recycle

The good news: not all recyclable materials are as complicated as plastic. Paper and cardboard, and glass are among the easiest things to recycle — for now. The cardboard boxes that your products come in, along with any paper instruction booklets, are typically safe to toss into recycling bins. If your area picks up glass, stick to putting bottles, containers, and jars in your bin. Kane says that things like moisturizer containers can be picked up curbside as long as they’re bigger than an index card and don’t have any mirrors on them because that would make it a mixed material. VIDEO: How to Use Tinted Brow Gel  

7. Your Hairspray and Dry Shampoo Are Recyclable

Spray cans made from aluminum, steel, or tin can be thrown into your blue bin. “If it’s an aerosol like a dry shampoo, make sure it’s completely empty,” says Kane. “If it has a plastic cap, that plastic cap should come off.” Since material facilities don’t have the equipment to sort mixed materials, the cap needs to be removed in order for the spray can to be successfully recycled.

8. Know Your Other Recycling Options

Alternatively, you can check whether the brand or store you purchased the product from has their own recycling program. A few examples? Unilever, the parent company of brands like Dove and TRESemme is partnering with Loop, a shopping platform that will carry some of their brands' products in sustainable packaging that when empty, gets picked up, cleaned, and refilled. Credo Beauty has a partnership with TerraCycle, a third-party recycling program, and will take customers’ empties in exchange for customer loyalty points. The biggest takeaway? Think twice before throwing any beauty product packages into your recycling bin. And if that eye cream jar, moisturizer bottle, or eyeshadow palette can’t be recycled, check to see if the brand or a third-party company can take it back. Yup, it’s a little extra work, but our planet is worth it.

Read the following in the voice of Saturday Night Live’s Debbie Downer: Did you know that millions of metric tons of plastic waste enter the ocean every year, and much of it is from packaging? That the temperatures of the seas have risen, the polar ice caps have shrunk, and “extreme weather events” (aka whole neighborhoods being engulfed by six feet of water or going up in literal flames) are more likely due to massive amounts of greenhouse gases produced by humans? Womp, womp. Now read this in the calming, majestic voice of Morgan Freeman: But there is hope for humans. And much of that hope can be seen in the actions of the people you’ll meet here. They’re proof that righting all of those wrongs is not going to happen as a result of a sweeping initiative. Instead, we need to tackle issues at every level. We might each be one person, but if we commit to making a difference and using our voices, we can all become instruments of change.

The Scientist

Monique Simmonds, Kew Royal Botanical Gardens Because protecting the planet means protecting the plants (including the ones in your favorite shampoo). We’re regularly urged to eat a plant-based diet for our health and the environment. A plant-heavy beauty routine is a great thing, too — but we need to make sure those botanicals are coming from the right place. Enter: the Kew Royal Botanical Gardens, global epicenter of all things plants. This biodiverse Eden, 30 minutes outside of London, is home to the world’s largest collection of wild plant DNA and tissue. Monique Simmonds, its deputy director of science, has made the study of plant chemistry and fungi her life’s work. Her research has been employed by conservationists as well as cosmetics companies, most recently Herbal Essences, which partnered with Kew to verify the ingredients in its Bio:Renew line — ingredients like the hair-smoothing antioxidant histidine. Simmonds works to ensure that each plant is farmed responsibly. So in this case, she asked: Where do you get your histidine from? “Because histidine only occurs in small amounts in the roots of some plants,” Simmonds says. For the Bio:Renew line, the answer was fermented corn, of which there is no shortage, and which uses by-products from the food industry — something Simmonds is optimistic will happen more often: “Companies that use plant ingredients want to do it right.” But the real drivers, she says, will be the consumers who hold companies accountable and buy purposefully. How so? Look for brands that talk about where their ingredients come from and be wary of ones that highlight a plant ingredient as being exotically rare (where there’s the potential they could be more easily depleted).

The Adviser

Erin Craig, 3Degrees Because we need the big guys to get with the program. It’s one thing to create more sustainable personal-care products. But how to help larger businesses take larger action? That’s Erin Craig’s job. As the vice president of the energy and climate practice for 3Degrees, headquartered in San Francisco, Craig helps companies reduce their carbon emissions. “Almost all the companies we work with, from data centers to fashion retailers, are changing the way they buy electricity to purposefully incorporate more renewable energy,” she says. “Increasing renewable energy is possible and a great place to start.”

By 2020, improving packaging will take on an even greater focus, with the help of a newly hired green-packaging engineer. The company has been using plastic made from sugar cane for the past eight years, but it’s not compatible with every product so other options need to be explored. Further changes include switching more items over to glass (“It’s an honourable material even though it’s heavier to transport,” says Mathilde) and eliminating all the leaflets inside the boxes, which means minus 23 tonnes of paper. There’s also a recycling program with TerraCycle in France—which involves returning empties for points toward purchases—that she wants to bring to other markets such as Canada. A refill system is also being looked into.