Putting the planet first has never been higher on the agenda of beauty brands, but for consumers trying to do the right thing, shopping sustainably remains a minefield. “Natural”, for example, isn’t sustainable if it comes sealed with plastic tape, and “clean”, arguably a marketing ploy over and above anything else, isn’t good for the environment if it’s packaged in virgin plastic or contains sunscreen ingredients that might look transparent on your skin but will harm the few remaining coral reefs.

Becoming more environmentally friendly starts with reducing waste, but is it possible to recycle plastic beauty product packaging? Rose Inc. investigates.

Reducing one's carbon footprint requires a multipronged approach that inevitably impacts every corner of our lifestyle choices, from travel to diet to personal care. When it comes to beauty products, a focus on sustainable ingredients, transparent supply chains, and a reduction of potentially-hazardous chemicals are all vital to consider when going green, but there’s one issue that causes a disproportionate amount of confusion: recycling.   The best way to discard plastic beauty product packaging, like empty face cream jars and lipstick bullets, is as confusing as it is discouraging. As many of us strive to improve our impact, we’re left wondering about the end of life for our everyday consumer goods. How can we prevent the products we buy from building up in landfills or polluting our oceans? Rose Inc. investigates the world of plastic recycling.       Plastic: The Origin Story   Since the 1950s, when plastic as we know it was introduced into society as a durable, cheap alternative to glass and metal, it has been grossly overproduced. Decades later, we’re at an impasse: We simply have too much plastic on planet earth, yet we continue to create it at a staggering rate. It’s estimated that 91% of the 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics that we’ve produced has not been recycled, the vast majority of which is piling up in landfills or polluting the oceans.   The irony of this issue is that the very thing that makes plastic so revolutionary—it’s strong and won’t shatter—is the very thing that’s left our planet in peril. It takes over 400 years for something like a plastic bottle to decompose, and during that lengthy process, it turns to microplastics that leach into the water and soil. Since many types of plastic are made from petrochemicals—like crude oil—the long-term effects of its microplastics are just now being studied.    

Recycling: Reading The Signs

  Recycling your empties is the best course of action for products you already own, so understanding the stamped symbol on the bottom of a plastic container is vital. Although it seems like the iconic, three-arrow shape denotes a product is recyclable, its only purpose is to identify the type of plastic.   “Some common misconceptions about the recyclability of plastic consumer goods and packaging, like beauty products, are that if there is a recycling symbol on it, is it recyclable,” says Marina McCoy, a recycling expert and the founder and CEO of Waste Free Earth, an organization that creates systems to help companies improve their environmental impact. The reality is that only products marked 1 (PETE), 2 (HDPE), and 5 (PP) are widely accepted in curbside bins. Some of these types of plastic commonly include clear and light-colored jars, bottles, and caps.   Tossing products with other numbers into recycling bins is actually harmful to the entire system. “This process is referred to as 'wishful' recycling,” McCoy says. “It leads to high contamination rates at recycling facilities, making it harder for them to separate the recyclable materials amongst all the contaminates.” It’s also important all products placed in curbside bins are squeaky clean, since excess makeup or cream disrupts the sorting process and often leads those products, even if they are accepted, to be thrown away along with anything they’ve dirtied.   Types of plastic that are not accepted in curbside bins often include mascara tubes, lipstick bullets, lip gloss, and anything that has dark or brightly-colored plastic or metal components, like pans and springs. There are, of course, exceptions to these rules and things are changing as more environmentally-friendly plastics increase in popularity, like bio-based plastics made from corn, which many experts believe is the future of consumer goods sustainability.        

Municipal vs Possible

  Another important aspect of plastic recyclability boils down to what programs are in effect where you live. That is, what’s possible to be recycled versus what’s actually accepted at your municipal facility, which may change from time to time based on its value. “Go to your waste facility’s website and search for its recycling guidelines,” McCoy suggests. “Occasionally you may need to email or call them if your product isn't listed.”   Sarah Teeter, global project manager for TerraCycle, a New Jersey-based private recycling business that specializes in hard-to-recyclable waste, notes that if a product was not specifically designed to have post-consumer value, it will probably end up being thrown away. "Up until this point, many brands that have been making common products have not really been considering what their end of life solution is,” Teeter says. "Fortunately, that is starting to change, which has a lot to do with consumer awareness and demand." While glass and aluminum are viable options—albeit they have their own downsides—one of the best solutions for 2020 and beyond is recycled plastic.        

Post-Consumer Plastic: A Better Choice

  Arguably the best current solution for the beauty industry is simply slowing the production of new plastic by using post-consumer materials. This prevents new plastic from being made and temporarily reduces the risk of waste ending up in places like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a collection of trash three times the size of France currently floating in the sea. Some brands, like Kevin Murphy and REN, even use plastic reclaimed from the ocean for their packaging, while others, like Pipette Baby, have created metal-free pumps that allow its post-consumer plastic packaging to also be recyclable.  

Take-Back Programs:

  As consumer demand for more environmentally-friendly solutions grow, many beauty brands that sell plastic packaging have implemented ‘take-back programs’ that provide a better end of life solution. Some, like L'Occitane and M.A.C., have internal options for dropping products off at stores, while brands like Le Labo offer discounts for refilling bottles instead of purchasing new packaging. Others, like Boscia and Saie, have partnered with companies like TerraCycle to offer mail-in recycling at no charge to the consumer.   While the beauty industry is still on its path towards sustainability, taking time to identify the types of plastic you purchase, then properly recycle them, is the first step in creating a more beautiful future.

Do good for the planet and animals while looking good with these cruelty-free, vegan, non-toxic, and environmentally sustainable makeup, skincare, and hair care brands sold at Sephora. I was pleasantly surprised to see so many amazing cruelty-free & vegan-friendly beauty brands available at Sephora are also committed to social, environmental, and sustainable practices. Whether it’s developing non-toxic and clean formulas that are more gentle on our skin and our waterways or choosing to use responsibly and sustainably sourced ingredients with respect to the welfare of the workers, protecting the planet and its resources, as well as, supporting local communities. But it doesn’t stop there. In addition to using sustainably sourced and natural ingredients, these eco-friendly makeup and beauty brands are also dedicated to reducing our reliance and overconsumption of single-use plastic that often end up in the landfill or our oceans. To be part of the solution, these ethical cosmetics companies are committed to using minimal packaging either made of recycled materials and/or recyclable components including FSC-certified paper derived from responsibly managed forests. Of course, it goes without saying that no beauty brand is perfect so although their efforts to creating sustainable makeup and cosmetics products are being recognized and appreciated, there’s always going to be ways to improve and do better. But it’s a step in the right direction and I think it’s important to highlight these conscious beauty brands doing good things.

Quels sont les bons gestes à adopter une fois nos cosmétiques fétiches terminés ? Les recycler, leur donner une seconde vie et réduire son impact sur la planète : éco-guide à suivre pour être à la pointe de la cosméto tout en ayant bonne conscience.

We can’t shop our way to saving the planet, but mindful choices matter. From ingredient sourcing to sustainable packaging, here’s how the industry’s forward thinkers are striving to tread more lightly as they produce the beauty products you see on the shelves. RETHINK (INGREDIENTS) The fine print on beauty labels tells us next to nothing about how responsibly sourced ingredients are. To muddy matters, calculating a product’s eco-footprint is far trickier than checking if the formula is all-natural or organic. For starters, natural ingredients can still cause environmental havoc—take, for instance, palm oil and its derivatives. Widely used in beauty products, they can be found in everything from shampoo to lipstick. They are largely produced in Indonesia and Malaysia, and the destruction of rainforests to clear the way for palm oil plantations is rampant. “A lot of companies are coming in and bulldozing and forcing communities out,” says Lindsay Dahl, senior vice-president of social mission at Beautycounter. Although the brand initially wanted to eschew palm oil, it realized that palm derivatives are still the best choice for many of its products.

WHAT IT DOES: Aromas of sweet vanilla promote feelings of warmth to leave you feeling comforted and at-ease after each use. LOVED FOR: This shower gel works up into a nice lather to rid your body of impurities and rehydrate parched skin.

• Formulated with aloe and rose hydrosol
• Sulfate-free

WHY YOU NEED IT: Essences of lavender, eucalyptus, organic vanilla, and palo santo help to awaken your senses and leave your skin feeling invigorated, clean, and glowing. LOVED FOR: All ingredients in this formula are certified USDA organic.

• Free of parabens, phthalates, and sulfates
• Cruelty-free

BEST FOR: This luxurious body wash is ultra-rich and can soften the driest of skins. FUN FACT: The woods and citrus scents in this formula are inspired by True Botanicals' Northern California roots.

• Formulated with green and white tea
• Synthetic fragrance-free

LOVED FOR: A combination of lemon balm, rosemary, peppermint essential oil, and aloe vera work together to leave your skin feeling cool, refreshed, and uplifted. FUN FACT: This formula is gentle enough to use on the face. Who doesn't love a multiuse product?

• Formulated with aloe vera
• pH-balanced

WHAT IT DOES: An oil-enriched cream gently cleanses and nourishes your skin to leave your body silky-smooth all-over. LOVED FOR: Rumor is this body wash smells exactly how you would expect sunshine to smell.

• Formulated with sea buckthorn
• Cruelty-free
• WHY YOU NEED IT: The coconut oils hydrate the skin without stripping it of its natural oils, which means your skin will feel naturally soft and clean. USERS SAID: “This is a great shower oil that I’m really enjoying! Leaves me feeling clean without drying out my skin. And I love the smell!”
  • Free of parabens, phthalates, and sulfates
  • Made in the USA
  • 
  • WHY YOU NEED IT:  The pump bottle makes this body wash super easy to use while showering. HELPFUL TIP: Opt for the tea tree oil and aloe vera option to leave your skin feeling soothed and balanced all day long.
    • Available in other fragrances
    • Free of parabens and phthalates
    • 
    • LOVED FOR: This all-natural body wash is only made up of eight simple ingredients and completely biodegradable. HELPFUL TIP: The honey-like gel formula goes a long way. Make sure you only use a little when lathering up!
      • Formulated with coconut oil and jojoba oil
      • Paraben-free
      • 
      • BEST FOR: This body wash is formulated with magnesium, which means it's made to address and minimize muscle soreness and help energize the skin. FUN FACT: Ren Clean Skincare teamed up with recycling innovator TerraCycle to create a 100% recycled plastic bottle. Join them in their battle for cleaner beaches, oceans, and a healthier planet when you purchase this top-ranked body cleanser today.
        • Free of parabens and sulfates
        • Cruelty-free
        • 
        • BEST FOR: The multi-purpose soap can be used as a cleanser for just about anything, whether that’s your body, hair, face, or even your dishes. WHY YOU NEED IT: You can reduce the number of products you carry in your house with a versatile product like this liquid soap.
          • Cruelty-free
          • Recycled bottle

 

The beauty industry has a bad reputation when it comes to sustainability, and a lot of that is because of the sector’s dependence on single-use plastic packaging. The numbers are staggering — the cosmetics industry produces about 120 billion units of plastic-containing packaging a year, according to Zero Waste Week, an awareness campaign in the U.K. And after 60 years of global plastic production, only about 9 percent of the collective 8.3 billion metric tons has been successfully recycled, according to a study by Great Britain’s Royal Statistical Society. It’s unclear how much of that successfully recycled plastic has come from the beauty industry, but the industry’s penchant for housing tinctures in bottles made from multiple materials means the packaging is often tough to recycle, according to TerraCycle’s Gina Herrera, senior director of brand partnerships.  “The easiest rule to follow is that the more materials — plastics, glass, metals — that compose your beauty product packaging, the lesser chance it is recyclable in your blue bin. This is because it can be too costly, in regard to both time and money, to separate and process,” Herrera said.

Sustainability efforts for beauty companies may cost more in the short term, but often pay out over time. Beauty brands that want to be part of TerraCycle’s Loop program must develop durable packaging that can be reused at least 10 times. It costs more for businesses upfront, but has the potential to help brands reduce their packaging costs over the long term. It’s one example of the return on investment for sustainability — Ren, Pantene, Melanin Essentials, Love, Beauty and Planet, Soapply, Plaine and The Body Shop are among the brands working with and selling through the Loop operation. “Manufacturers are hitting parity on price and sustainability anywhere from two to three uses sometimes,” said Benjamin Weir, Loop’s director of business development and sales innovation. “We’re pushing the system to be as durable and as reusable as possible.” For Procter & Gamble, which has invested in Loop, the cost of making Loop-approved packaging is actually more expensive — but the business views it as an investment in learning. “While ROI is definitely something we are getting in certain pockets of our business, it is not the sole criteria for learning in this space, particularly with some of the pilots we are running,” said Anitra Marsh, associate director of global sustainability and brand communications at P&G Beauty. Marsh was referencing Loop, as well as Olay Whips refills, which launched in the fall. “We have to learn before we can bring things to scale.” Another P&G pilot launches Monday: The business is testing paper board tube packaging for deodorant, available exclusively at Walmart. “If you’re looking at return on investment, sustainability initiatives are the long game. There are no short wins with sustainability,” said Sarah Jindal, Mintel’s senior innovation and insights analyst for beauty and personal care. She called Loop’s efforts “a great example of that initial upfront investment that pays in bucketloads,” and said renewable energy is another key example. “At some point, once you’ve made that initial investment, you no longer have an electric bill that you’re paying to someone else,” she said. P&G, for example, has saved more than half-a-billion dollars after years of energy conservation programs across the company, said Kelly Vanasse, chief communications officer for P&G beauty and grooming. “That’s one example — the work we’re doing on zero waste to landfill, it’s the same thing.…The more we continue to realize those successes, it just creates a virtuous circle.” Jindal stressed that the timing of returns from sustainability initiatives can vary. “Returns will come in many different forms at many different levels at many different time points,” Jindal said. Unilever, for example, has started to see increasing sales momentum from “sustainable living brands.” Sustainable living brands grew 69 percent faster than the rest of the business in 2018, compared with 46 percent faster in 2017, the company said. Biossance, the skin-care line born out of biotech operation Amyris, has worked to build up its own virtuous circle — a sustainable supply chain in order to offer Amyris-produced squalane to the broader beauty market at “desirable price points,” said president Catherine Gore. “The promised land is really connecting sustainable ingredients, sustainable thinking, sustainable manufacturing and sustainable packaging with the cost effective-nature of that. We’ll really hit our sweet spot when all of the brands can afford to make these types of changes.” Biossance’s key sustainability initiatives revolve around sustainable sugarcane in Brazil. The company makes its own squalane with that sugarcane, versus harvesting from sharks. Sugarcane stalks are used for boxes, and gas off-put is used to power the plant. “All of that has been optimized so we can offer squalane by the ton to consumers and brands worldwide at a much more desirable price point than [killing sharks],” Gore said. “The whole idea is to keep the mission first, and in order for that to be accessible, it has to be at the right price point.” There’s also a softer side to the ROI equation. As sustainability permeates consumer consciousness, companies and brands that have taken steps in earth-friendly directions expect to see dividends coming in the form of consumer loyalty. “The concept of brand loyalty…has kind of flown out the window, but this view on sustainability — because it is becoming so important to the consumer, and it is so visible to the consumer — that becomes one of those really important parts of, ‘do I want to buy from this brand, or do I want to buy from that brand?” said Jindal. “That loyal relationship becomes really important in the fragmented world we’re living in where you’ve got new brands popping up almost every single day,” Jindal said. Right now, consumers are at the stage where they notice obvious things, Jindal said, like packaging. But as beauty companies delve deeper into sustainability and talk openly about their initiatives, consumer expectations are likely to evolve. “The more prevalent that information becomes, it becomes that much more important to a wider range of consumers,” Jindal said. “They’ll look at [company practices] and say, ‘you know what, I don’t agree with the practices of that company, so I won’t buy from them anymore.’ It’s as simple as that, to flip that switch, because there are so many brands out there they can choose from.” For Biossance, sustainability is a key part of customer retention. “There’s a large community that’s very close to our shark-saving initiative,” Gore said. The company estimates that by producing squalane, it saves two million sharks per year. That, combined with Environmental Working Group certification and other commitments, like zero waste by 2025, compostable boxes and going carbon neutral in 2020, keep customers coming back. “As we share those stories, it holistically brings a very dedicated community together that believes in the sustainability, wants to put their purchase power toward that, and trusts in the brand,” Gore said. P&G also sees customers caring more about sustainability. “When we have products consumers love, they’re like, ‘OK, I love your product — now help me love your product even more. What are you doing from a sustainability perspective?’ Everyone wants to do the right thing…today, doing the right thing is being more sustainable,” Vanasse said.

"There are no short wins with sustainability."

Sustainability efforts for beauty companies may cost more in the short term, but often pay out over time. Beauty brands that want to be part of TerraCycle’s Loop program must develop durable packaging that can be reused at least 10 times. It costs more for businesses upfront, but has the potential to help brands reduce their packaging costs over the long term. It’s one example of the return on investment for sustainability — Ren, Pantene, Melanin Essentials, Love, Beauty and Planet, Soapply, Plaine and The Body Shop are among the brands working with and selling through the Loop operation. “Manufacturers are hitting parity on price and sustainability anywhere from two to three uses sometimes,” said Benjamin Weir, Loop’s director of business development and sales innovation. “We’re pushing the system to be as durable and as reusable as possible.” For Procter & Gamble, which has invested in Loop, the cost of making Loop-approved packaging is actually more expensive — but the business views it as an investment in learning. “While ROI is definitely something we are getting in certain pockets of our business, it is not the sole criteria for learning in this space, particularly with some of the pilots we are running,” said Anitra Marsh, associate director of global sustainability and brand communications at P&G Beauty. Marsh was referencing Loop, as well as Olay Whips refills, which launched in the fall. “We have to learn before we can bring things to scale.” Another P&G pilot launches Monday: The business is testing paper board tube packaging for deodorant, available exclusively at Walmart. “If you’re looking at return on investment, sustainability initiatives are the long game. There are no short wins with sustainability,” said Sarah Jindal, Mintel’s senior innovation and insights analyst for beauty and personal care. She called Loop’s efforts “a great example of that initial upfront investment that pays in bucketloads,” and said renewable energy is another key example. “At some point, once you’ve made that initial investment, you no longer have an electric bill that you’re paying to someone else,” she said. P&G, for example, has saved more than half-a-billion dollars after years of energy conservation programs across the company, said Kelly Vanasse, chief communications officer for P&G beauty and grooming. “That’s one example — the work we’re doing on zero waste to landfill, it’s the same thing.…The more we continue to realize those successes, it just creates a virtuous circle.” Jindal stressed that the timing of returns from sustainability initiatives can vary. “Returns will come in many different forms at many different levels at many different time points,” Jindal said. Unilever, for example, has started to see increasing sales momentum from “sustainable living brands.” Sustainable living brands grew 69 percent faster than the rest of the business in 2018, compared with 46 percent faster in 2017, the company said. Biossance, the skin-care line born out of biotech operation Amyris, has worked to build up its own virtuous circle — a sustainable supply chain in order to offer Amyris-produced squalane to the broader beauty market at “desirable price points,” said president Catherine Gore. “The promised land is really connecting sustainable ingredients, sustainable thinking, sustainable manufacturing and sustainable packaging with the cost effective-nature of that. We’ll really hit our sweet spot when all of the brands can afford to make these types of changes.” Biossance’s key sustainability initiatives revolve around sustainable sugarcane in Brazil. The company makes its own squalane with that sugarcane, versus harvesting from sharks. Sugarcane stalks are used for boxes, and gas off-put is used to power the plant. “All of that has been optimized so we can offer squalane by the ton to consumers and brands worldwide at a much more desirable price point than [killing sharks],” Gore said. “The whole idea is to keep the mission first, and in order for that to be accessible, it has to be at the right price point.” There’s also a softer side to the ROI equation. As sustainability permeates consumer consciousness, companies and brands that have taken steps in earth-friendly directions expect to see dividends coming in the form of consumer loyalty. “The concept of brand loyalty…has kind of flown out the window, but this view on sustainability — because it is becoming so important to the consumer, and it is so visible to the consumer — that becomes one of those really important parts of, ‘do I want to buy from this brand, or do I want to buy from that brand?” said Jindal. “That loyal relationship becomes really important in the fragmented world we’re living in where you’ve got new brands popping up almost every single day,” Jindal said. Right now, consumers are at the stage where they notice obvious things, Jindal said, like packaging. But as beauty companies delve deeper into sustainability and talk openly about their initiatives, consumer expectations are likely to evolve. “The more prevalent that information becomes, it becomes that much more important to a wider range of consumers,” Jindal said. “They’ll look at [company practices] and say, ‘you know what, I don’t agree with the practices of that company, so I won’t buy from them anymore.’ It’s as simple as that, to flip that switch, because there are so many brands out there they can choose from.” For Biossance, sustainability is a key part of customer retention. “There’s a large community that’s very close to our shark-saving initiative,” Gore said. The company estimates that by producing squalane, it saves two million sharks per year. That, combined with Environmental Working Group certification and other commitments, like zero waste by 2025, compostable boxes and going carbon neutral in 2020, keep customers coming back. “As we share those stories, it holistically brings a very dedicated community together that believes in the sustainability, wants to put their purchase power toward that, and trusts in the brand,” Gore said. P&G also sees customers caring more about sustainability. “When we have products consumers love, they’re like, ‘OK, I love your product — now help me love your product even more. What are you doing from a sustainability perspective?’ Everyone wants to do the right thing…today, doing the right thing is being more sustainable,” Vanasse said.