LOW WASTE BEAUTY
The number of beauty-related packages produced globally each year by the cosmetics industry: 120 billion. Between the plastic outer wrappings, cardboard packaging, tubes, pots and add-ons like mini spoons and brushes, that’s a lot of waste. However, there are a number of brands turning their back on traditional packaging for a more naked and earth-friendly approach. And best of all, clean ingredients are also at the heart of their products. Here are a few of our favourites …
ETHIQUE
This New Zealand-based company was one of the world’s first zero-waste beauty and lifestyle brands, offering solid beauty bars for the body, face and home. They take the often large percentage of water out of the product to leave just the active ingredients you can lather up yourself at home. Saving up to three regular bottles per Ethique product, its eco-friendly packaging is also compostable.
SUNBUTTER
Founded by two marine biologists, SunButter sunscreen is one of the most environmentally friendly, reef-safe SPF products out there. It’s made in a solarpowered factory here in Australia, and housed in an aluminium tin container making it plastic and mess free.
FLUFF CASUAL COSMETICS
Fluff Casual Cosmetics are sustainable, forward thinking and no-fuss – something that’s hard to find in the beauty industry sometimes. Although their range includes a variety of face oils, cleansers and masks, their refillable bronzers and lip oils remain the hero products. Housed in a weighty metal compact, they’re not only plastic free but have that keepsake nature about them, and are made to be re-used.
BIODE
This lifestyle brand features high-performing products like natural deodorant, shampoo, conditioner and body bars, and tinted lip balms. Its packaging is no BS, uses plantbased inks and is home compostable. You can literally plant the packaging in an indoor pot and watch it break down over a matter of weeks.
SEED & SPROUT
Seed & Sprout started out with a pretty epic stainless steel bento-style lunch box and has since expanded into beauty and personal care products. Lip balm and deodorant is housed in neat little aluminium containers while dry shampoo comes in a home compostable cardboard tube.
EDIBLE BEAUTY
From sustainable and wild crafted ingredients to recyclable and biodegradable packaging, Edible Beauty is the real deal when it comes to low-waste skincare and wellness ingestibles. Edible Beauty partners with TerraCycle to recycle their trickier items like pumps and caps that can’t be thrown into a household’s recycling bin.
MUKTI
This certified organic beauty brand not only uses high-quality bioactive ingredients, it comes in violet glass containers, specifically designed to increase the shelf life of the product without the use of synthetic preservatives. Mukti has also recently implemented its own recycling program, where old items can be returned to the company (free of charge) and given new life.