Kiera Jefferson
The beauty industry is facing increasing pressure to address its contribution to plastic pollution. With an estimated 120 billion packaging units produced annually and a reliance on single-use plastics, the industry is a significant contributor to environmental waste. While some brands are embracing sustainable practices and reducing plastic packaging, the overall progress remains slow. Consumers are becoming more conscious of greenwashing and demanding genuine change. This includes reducing plastic waste, switching to eco-friendly ingredients, and adopting sustainable packaging alternatives. Despite challenges, a positive shift in attitudes and growing consumer awareness offer hope for a greener future in the beauty industry.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Plastic produced since the 1950s | 8.3 billion tons |
| Percentage of plastic in landfills or natural environment | 60% |
| Number of plastic packaging units produced by the beauty industry | 120 billion |
| Percentage of plastic waste accounted for by packaging | 70% |
| Number of rigid plastic units created for the cosmetic industry in the US | 7.9 billion |
| Percentage of beauty products containing palm oil | 70% |
| Water used in the beauty industry in 2020 | 10.4 million tons |
| Percentage of Brits who don't recycle bathroom products | 56% |
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What You'll Learn
The beauty industry's plastic problem
The beauty industry has a significant plastic problem, contributing to the global plastic pollution crisis. With an estimated 120 billion packaging units produced annually, the industry's waste, including plastic packaging, accounts for a substantial portion of its environmental impact.
Single-use plastic items, such as face wipes, cotton buds, and plastic bags, have come under increasing scrutiny as consumers shift their habits. However, the industry's response has been relatively minor, with profits often taking precedence over sustainability. While some companies are embracing sustainable practices, the overall change is slow, and the beauty industry is still considered a major contributor to plastic pollution.
Plastic pollution in the beauty industry extends beyond packaging. Microplastics, such as microbeads commonly found in exfoliants, pose a significant threat to marine life as they wash down drains and enter waterways. Despite bans in several countries, loopholes and inadequate regulations allow companies to continue contributing to microplastic pollution.
Additionally, the farming of palm oil, present in 70% of cosmetics, drives deforestation and jeopardizes wildlife habitats. Water consumption is another concern, with the beauty industry using approximately 10.4 million tons of water in 2020, contributing to water waste and pollution.
Some brands are taking initiative. Lush Cosmetics, for example, has reduced plastic waste by offering shampoo bars and establishing packaging-free "Naked" stores. Kjaer Weiss develops refillable containers for makeup, and TerraCycle has partnered with major beauty companies to offer a free recycling program for beauty product packaging in the UK.
While these efforts are promising, the beauty industry as a whole needs to accelerate its adoption of sustainable practices and materials to effectively address its plastic problem.
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Bans on single-use plastics
The beauty industry, as one of the largest contributors to plastic pollution, is also taking steps to reduce single-use plastics. Credo Beauty, for example, has phased out single-use packaging and products, including 660,000 sachets and 3,000 pounds of single-use items, and has published guidelines to encourage its brand partners to do the same. Other brands like Abbott, which is stocked on Credo, have followed suit, phasing out single-use samples and moving towards larger samples. Skincare brand Therapi will cut single-use sampling from 2022, and Bloomeffects offers multi-use samples packaged in Picea wood tubes made from upcycled sawdust.
However, the impact of these bans in the beauty industry is limited by the continued use of single-use sachets, which are one of the "most pernicious uses of plastic." Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet, is calling for legislators to extend single-use plastic bans to include these sachets, which often cannot be recycled.
While the beauty industry is making some progress, corporate businesses could do more. With profits as the main concern, there has only been minor change in how companies are tackling sustainability and finding alternative packaging materials. There needs to be enough evidence to prove that new materials will be sustainable long-term, and it is clear that there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
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Sustainable alternatives
The beauty industry is responsible for a significant amount of plastic pollution, with packaging accounting for 70% of the industry's waste. While there have been positive shifts in consumer attitudes towards single-use plastics, and some brands are embracing sustainable practices, there is still much to be done. Here are some sustainable alternatives that can help the beauty industry tackle plastic pollution:
Sustainable Packaging
One of the most effective ways to reduce plastic waste is to switch to sustainable packaging. This can include using biodegradable materials, such as sugarcane or bamboo, or adopting compostable or recyclable materials. Brands can also explore removing packaging altogether or using byproduct materials to reduce waste. For example, Lush Cosmetics has cut down on plastic waste by replacing bottled shampoo with solid shampoo bars, and has even set up "Naked" stores that sell products free from any packaging.
Refillable Containers
Companies like Kjaer Weiss are experimenting with refillable containers for makeup and deodorant, minimising the amount of disposable packaging produced. This approach not only reduces plastic waste but also encourages consumers to reuse and refill their containers.
Eco-Friendly Ingredients
Beauty brands can also tackle plastic pollution by replacing harmful ingredients with eco-friendly alternatives. For instance, microbeads, commonly found in exfoliants, can be substituted with natural options like coffee grounds. Additionally, brands can opt for sustainable sourcing practices and avoid ingredients like palm oil, which contributes to deforestation.
Recycling Initiatives
Partnerships with recycling companies can help beauty brands establish effective recycling schemes for their products. For instance, TerraCycle has collaborated with Garnier, Colgate, L'Occitane, and Weleda to offer a free recycling programme for beauty product packaging across the UK, successfully recycling over 72,000 items.
Consumer Education
Educating consumers about sustainable alternatives is crucial. Encouraging consumers to recycle bathroom products, choose reusable or recyclable packaging, and participate in refill schemes can significantly reduce plastic waste. Additionally, consumers can be guided to look for specific eco-friendly labels and avoid products containing dangerous microplastics.
While the beauty industry has a long way to go in tackling plastic pollution, adopting these sustainable alternatives can contribute to a greener and more environmentally conscious future.
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Corporate responsibility
The beauty industry is responsible for producing over 120 billion packaging units each year, with packaging accounting for 70% of the industry's waste. This waste contributes to environmental pollution, including ocean pollution, and has caused the death of wildlife worldwide. While consumers are becoming more conscious of their plastic consumption, with a shift away from single-use plastics, corporations have been slow to implement meaningful change.
Some brands, like Lush, have successfully cut down on plastic waste by offering packaging-free products, such as shampoo bars, and have even set up dedicated stores for these initiatives. Other companies, like Kjaer Weiss, are experimenting with refillable containers to reduce disposable packaging. These brands are embracing sustainability and recognising their corporate responsibility.
However, the issue of plastic pollution extends beyond packaging. Plastic is also found in the products themselves, such as microbeads in body scrubs and glitter in cosmetics. While microbeads have been banned in several countries, there are still loopholes and a lack of regulation to ensure companies are complying.
To effectively tackle plastic pollution, corporations must go beyond surface-level initiatives and recognise the scale of the problem. They must be cautious about substituting materials, ensuring that alternatives are truly sustainable and do not shift the burden to other ecosystems. Sander Defruyt, a lead for the New Plastics Economy at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, emphasises the need for corporations and governments to acknowledge the crisis and work together to implement long-lasting solutions.
While some beauty brands are taking steps in the right direction, the industry as a whole needs to accelerate its efforts to match the urgency of the plastic pollution crisis.
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Consumer awareness
The beauty industry is responsible for producing over 120 billion packaging units each year, with packaging accounting for 70% of the industry's waste. Consumers are becoming more aware of the impact of their daily habits on the environment, and there is a growing demand for sustainable and eco-friendly beauty products. This has led to a shift in consumer behaviour, with people slowly moving away from single-use plastic products like face wipes, cotton buds, and plastic bags.
Watchdog platforms like Estee Laundry and Think Dirty have played a crucial role in building awareness about 'greenwashing' and educating consumers about the discrepancies between brands' sustainability claims and their actual environmental impact. Consumers are now demanding real change from brands, beyond just PR-able green schemes.
Some consumers are taking matters into their own hands by choosing products in reusable or recyclable packaging and supporting brands that offer refill schemes and recycling initiatives. For example, consumers are opting for bamboo toothbrushes, wooden earbuds, natural mud masks, and shampoo bars instead of their plastic or overly packaged counterparts.
However, it is important to note that the responsibility for tackling plastic pollution cannot fall solely on consumers. Sander Defruyt, a lead for the New Plastics Economy at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, emphasizes that consumers can only act within the plastics system that is in place. Therefore, corporations and governments must also recognize the problem and work towards implementing sustainable solutions.
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Frequently asked questions
The beauty industry impacts the environment in several ways, including depleting natural resources, damaging oceans, hurting wildlife, and producing harmful microplastics. The industry's packaging waste is a significant contributor to plastic pollution, with an estimated 120 billion packaging units produced each year, and only 8.7% of that plastic recycled.
Some brands are making efforts to reduce their plastic waste and become more sustainable. For example, companies like Lush Cosmetics have cut down on plastic and packaging by replacing bottled products with dry form equivalents, such as shampoo bars. Other companies, like Kjaer Weiss, are experimenting with refillable containers to reduce disposable packaging. There are also initiatives like the Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenge, which aims to develop novel solutions to tackle the plastic waste crisis.
Microbeads are small plastic pieces commonly used in body scrubs and other exfoliants. When these products are washed down the drain, the microbeads enter our waterways and cause irreparable damage to marine life. Microbeads were banned in the U.S. in 2015 and the U.K. in 2018, but there are still loopholes in the regulations, and companies may be finding ways around the ban.
Consumers can make a difference by reducing their use of single-use plastic beauty items, choosing products with reusable or recyclable packaging, and supporting brands that are committed to sustainability. It is also important to read labels to avoid dangerous microplastic particles and to be aware of greenwashing, or empty claims of environmental friendliness.
One challenge is that profits remain the main concern for many global beauty brands, and there has only been minor change in how companies are tackling sustainability. Another challenge is finding alternative packaging materials that are truly sustainable in the long term and do not simply shift the environmental impact to another habitat or ecosystem.
