The Year 'Zero-Waste Packaging' Became A Beauty Buzzword
These days, it is almost taboo for a beauty brand not to align itself with the green movement and use sustainable packaging.
In 2019, Forbes reported that the global beauty industry produces 120 billion units of packaging annually, making it one of the top contributors to plastic waste. Increasingly, more brands are taking note and introducing sustainable or refillable packaging and recycling initiatives – in a bid to reach zero waste.
READ MORE: Sustainability In Beauty: 7 Brands That Mean Serious Business
Zero waste is loosely defined as waste prevention, or the efficient use of resources, with the common aim to reduce or eliminate trash sent to landfills, incinerators or the ocean. From consumer goods companies to luxury labels, brands are doing their part. Global players Aesop, Kiehl’s and The Body Shop, as well as local skincare brand Re:erth, offer recycling programmes that incentivise shoppers to recycle their empties.
This new initiative allows you to opt for a refillable aluminium bottle and have them filled with either a haircare formula, shower gel, or hand wash.
Earlier this year, The Body Shop put in place a permanent refill system at some stores, encouraging customers to swop out plastic for aluminium bottles. On the packaging front, many are revamping with zero waste in
mind. Lush, Hermes, Dior and Sisley are just some of the big names which have introduced refillable lipsticks, with bullets that twist out so the container can be reused with refills.
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This year, French skincare company Caudalie debuted a range of cleansers packaged in bottles made from 100 per cent recycled plastic, kick-starting an overhaul of all its packaging. For Christmas, it launched fully recyclable gift sets packaged with zero per cent virgin plastic, 100 per cent Forest Stewardship Council paper from sustainably managed forests, and plant-based inks.
The lipsticks in the Rouge Hermes collection, such as these ones from the Autumn-Winter 2021 Limited Edition Collection, are refillable.
Similarly, since last year, homegrown est.lab began a progressive change of all its products’ outer box packaging – to be made from tree-free paper sourced from sugarcane waste. They are also recyclable, 100 per cent biodegradable and fully compostable.
Ahead, a lowdown on beauty brands with eco-friendly packaging and refillables.
The Rouge Dior lip balms are housed in the brand's jewel-like lacquered midnight blue case and come with refillable options as part of the French house's commitment to eco-friendly design.
The brand is known to use Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), including recycled PET in its plastic packaging. The bottle can also be reused as storage containers.
The lip care products in Rouge Hermes – from lipsticks to lip balms – come with refillable cases.
Kiehl's reportedly uses post-consumer recycled materials whenever possible for its packaging. You can also recycle any empty bottles through its Recycle & Be Rewarded program.
The outer box packaging is made from tree-free paper sourced from sugarcane waste which is recyclable and biodegradable.
The homegrown label reportedly uses only 100 per cent recycled materials and soy-based inks for the box packaging. Plus, its products are made with d2w biodegradable technology which turns ordinary plastic into a biodegradable material that can be broken down by bacteria and fungi in an open environment without leaving a trail of toxic residues or microplastics behind.
The plastic-free refillable lipstick case is made from partially recycled aluminium and brass.
Additional reporting by Sofia Kim
A version of this article first appeared in The Straits Times