Aiming for a Greener Cosmetics Industry: Our Commitment to Waste Reduction and Sustainability
======================================================================
In the realm of beauty and personal care, a shift towards sustainability is gaining momentum. The goal is to create a closed cycle, where resources are used efficiently from production to the recycling of packaging materials, and all the product's resources are utilised completely. This approach, known as the circular cosmetic model, is being championed by responsible brands across the industry.
One such brand is Provital, which has set its sights on creating more natural active ingredients with nutritional power from 100% sustainable sources and recycled substances. Their flagship product, Hydrafence™, launched in 2019, is an active ingredient demonstrating a commitment to zero-waste cosmetics. Based on natural active ingredients and a new rice amylose hydrocolloid matrix, Hydrafence™ offers immediate hydrating action and prolonged hydration for 120 hours.
By using rice cultivation by-products, Provital recycles ingredients without compromising rice's role as a food source and mitigates environmental damage through the zero-waste principle. This approach resonates with consumers, as Mintel's 2020 report reveals that 44% of American consumers would buy beauty and personal care products made from organic waste from other sectors.
The cosmetics industry is also addressing packaging waste. Annually, packaging waste in Europe reaches an average of one ton per capita, and Euromonitor estimates that the cosmetics industry produced 76.8 billion plastic packages alone in 2017. To reduce plastic packaging waste, ethical beauty brands are adopting strategies such as creating multifunctional products, using recyclable packaging, and using reused or recycled natural ingredients whenever possible.
Cosmetics companies are also working towards a recycling cycle, such as incorporating refill solutions for packaging reuse. Brands like Dang! Lifestyle are encouraging consumers to rinse, sort, and return empty containers to recycling points, helping to close the loop on packaging waste.
Moreover, companies are implementing zero waste to landfill policies in production facilities. For instance, Shiseido has achieved zero waste to landfill across all owned factories by recycling materials such as converting used cooking oils into sustainable aviation fuel and by improving inventory management to reduce excess product disposal.
The circular economy model in cosmetics aims to recycle or reuse all materials and products, forming a closed cycle. This systemic approach to zero-waste cosmetics production addresses materials from ingredient sourcing to end-of-life packaging management.
To achieve zero-waste production, responsible brands must know the exact origin of their ingredients and how waste is managed throughout the process. They must also engage employees and supply chain partners in training and managing waste according to legal and environmental standards.
Aligning with stricter regulations targeting ingredient and packaging sustainability goals, such as recyclability, biodegradability, and zero pollution, drive industry-wide improvements in waste reduction. Together, these strategies form a comprehensive approach to zero-waste cosmetics, paving the way for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly beauty industry.
- Environmental-science principles are being applied in the fashion-and-beauty industry, as brands strive to create a closed cycle for resource usage, from production to packaging recycling.
- The environmental-science concept of sustainable living is being demonstrated by brands like Provital, which produces natural active ingredients from 100% sustainable sources and recycled substances.
- In the food-and-drink sector, the idea of sustainable living can be observed through the use of rice cultivation by-products, as seen in Provital's flagship product, Hydrafence™.
- Home-and-garden waste reduction can be observed in cosmetics companies' efforts to reduce plastic packaging waste, such as incorporating refill solutions for packaging reuse.
