EARTH FIRST
BEAUTY BRANDS ARE ACTIVELY RESPONDING TO THE CALL FOR A CLEANER, GREENER WORLD. JULIETTE WINTER EXPLAINS HOW.
Beauty companies are finally taking notice of consumers and their concern for the planet.
AT THE END of 2019, the Oxford Dictionary released its Word of the Year: climate emergency.
“We’re experiencing a massive rising of environmentally conscious youth who will continue to be a great inspiration for many,” says Tom Szaky, CEO and founder of Terracycle, which specialises in recycling the non-recyclable. “We’re noticing a rise in consumer demand for recycling programs, and beauty brands are listening.”
It’s a complex issue, but much headway has been made in terms of reducing beauty packaging waste. Brands like Lush are forging ahead — 35 per cent of their products are sold unpackaged (the rest uses 100 per cent recycled packaging). Many beauty brands, including Weleda, Burt’s Bees, Innisfree, Jurlique, Kiehl’s, L’occitane, Deciem, Lush and The Body Shop, now offer recycling through Terracycle. Simply drop back any empty beauty jar and Terracycle will organise to melt it down and recycle it into a new product. It costs consumers nothing.
“The global cosmetics industry produces 120 billion units of packaging every year,” says Tom. “Only about 12 per cent of the plastic that Australians put into their kerbside bins is being recycled. Since beauty products are, by and large, packaged in plastic, it’s safe to say that the industry faces the same recycling rate.”
Tom says that, compared to other countries in the OECD, Australia generates more waste than average and recycles less, but that this is largely due to a lack of recycling infrastructure rather than a personal indifference. “Australians are keen to recycle their waste and will be one of the first to trial our new Loop platform,” says Tom. Loop, an online and in-store shopping platform launching in 2021 in partnership with Woolworths, will let consumers purchase products in durable, refillable containers and return them when empty for a packaging deposit refund.
Recycling on this scale is an ambitious but vital initiative. It is believed about eight billion lipstick bullets are discarded each year, Zero Waste Week reports that cardboard packaging contributes to the global loss of 18 million acres of forest each year, and approximately eight million pieces of plastic pollution find their way into our oceans every day.
A 2015 report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) states plastic is also a problematic beauty ingredient, used in a huge range of products including deodorant, hair dye, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, shaving cream, sunscreen, insect repellent, moisturiser, make-up and even baby care products. According to the report, “a typical exfoliating shower gel can contain roughly as much microplastic in the cosmetic formulation as is used to make the plastic packaging it comes in.” The devastating effect this has on ocean life is well documented; CSIRO says half the world’s turtles have already ingested plastic. Some brands, such as Weleda, are proudly plastic particulate-free but you can check labels for polyethylene (PE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and nylon.
Skincare brand Biossance launched an online platform, the Clean Academy, to answer frequently asked questions about “clean” ingredients, and offer advice like, “If you’re looking at going cleaner, start with the products you use every day and that cover the most surface area, such as deodorant and moisturiser.”
Carefully consider your sunscreen choice, too. An estimated 14,000 tonnes of sunscreen washes into the ocean each year and, after studies linked two chemical sunscreen ingredients (octinoxate and oxybenzone) to damaging coral reefs, Hawaii has banned their use from January 1, 2021.
As well as scrutinising labels, brands like Deciem are tackling the issue of overconsumption. Last year they closed their physical and online stores on Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year in the US, instead offering a discount throughout November to encourage mindful purchases. “Thought-through buying decisions are key in avoiding barely used products sitting on your bathroom counter and being thrown out as the end result,” says Nicola Kilner, former Deciem CEO.
Becoming a more conscious consumer is a small but vital step for the planet. “Think about the recyclability of products before you buy them,” says Tom. “Remember, every purchase you make is a vote for the future you want.”