Spotless September Aims to Reduce Plastic Waste in Our Waterways

Download the app, collect trash and compete with family and friends to combat plastic pollution.

Even with reduction commitments from governments and the private sector, a cargo ship’s worth of plastic is predicted to enter the world’s rivers, lakes, and oceans every day by 2030. This plastic pollution kills thousands of seabirds, fish, turtles, and whales each year. Chemicals from the plastic also enter the food chain, which can harm human health.

This is why Garnier has joined forces with Ocean Conservancy to rally employees and consumers to remove plastic from the world’s beaches and waterways during Spotless September — one month dedicated to collecting plastic waste anywhere, anytime. This can be during your daily walk, on a weekend outing, in the street or in the park. It doesn’t even have to be at a beach.

Garnier and Ocean Conservancy's partnership

“The Spotless September campaign encourages everyone to participate in Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup throughout the month of September, wherever they may be. The pandemic has shrunk our world, limiting our ability to travel and to participate in community events. Spotless September is about reengaging in whatever way you can o n an issue that affects al l of us on this blue planet: ocean plastic pollution,” says Nick Mallos, Senior Director of the Trash Free Seas program at Ocean Conservancy. The I nternational Coastal Cleanup has been held in c ommunities across the globe on one day each September for more than 30 years. This year, it extends to the whole month.

Spotless September is part of Garnier’s ongoing partnership with Ocean Conservancy, an organization that uses science-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. Garnier has partnered with Ocean Conservancy since 2019 to organize beach cleanups with Garnier employees around the world and to collaborate on ocean-friendly products and packaging. In 2020, Garnier became the first beauty brand to join Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas Alliance, which brings together scientists, NGOS, and private sector leaders to find upstream solutions to the ocean plastics crisis.

A leader in green beauty

Garnier strives to be a leader in green beauty and over the past few years, the company has reduced the environmental footprint of its products and increased its natural origin and renewable, plant-based ingredients. For example, reusable Micellar Cleansing Eco Pads activate with

Micellar Cleansing Water to remove makeup and cleanse skin. The Micellar bottles are created from 50 percent post-consumer plastic and the formula is produced using 100 percent renewable electricity. The Eco Pads are designed to last up to 1,000

washes with zero cotton pad waste. Garnier has committed to stop using virgin plastic entirely by 2025, which will save 37,000 tonnes of virgin plastic each year. Virgin plastic is newly manufactured plastic that has never been used in a product or processed before. Instead, the company will use 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastics or bio-sourced plastic that is 100 percent recyclable, compostable, refillable, or reusable.

With Spotless September, it’s easy for everyone to get involved in reducing plastic pollution .“you simply have to download ocean Conservancy’s Clean Swell App and start collecting trash. You can log everything you find

in the app, contributing to the world’s largest database on litter and plastic pollution. You can even create teams among family, friends or colleagues and choose a weekly winner based on the most trash gathered,” says Mallos. Share your photos on social media using the hashtags #Cleanupwithgarnier, #Spotlessseptember, and #Onegreenstep and share the weight of the trash you collected with the hashtag #Doitforthegram and encourage others to do the same. Garnier employees across the globe will be participating too, including with staff webinars and competitions between

countries and local teams.

Ongoing commitment to sustainability

Garnier’s commitment won't end when September

does. The company’s Green Beauty initiative is a holistic, end-to-end approach to sustainability that influences every aspect of the business, reducing or eliminating environmental impact in packaging, products, formulas, manufacturing, and solidarity sourcing. For

example, in 2019, Garnier’s new shampoos and hair care formulas reached an average of 91 percent biodegradability and the company is working to improve that. The company has also lowered carbon dioxide emissions and water consumption at its industrial sites.

In addition, Garnier has committed to sustainably source all of its plant-based and renewable ingredients by 2022. This

means knowing the origins of the plants and verifying safe labour conditions, equal opportunities, and zero discrimination. Garnier also helps communities around the world through socially responsible sourcing programs, giving people typically excluded from the job market access to work and a sustainable income. It works hard to employ fair trade practices across its supply chain.