Sustainable beauty

Currently there is no simple formula for achieving the sustainability transformation in the Cosmetics sector that it needs and consumers are raising their expectations in terms of sustainability. However, to help brands on their way to optimising sustainability and to clarify what is achievable, Eva Lagarde, founder of the consulting and training company re/sources, has identified some important key trends, some of which are highlighted here for the benefit of our readers..

Eva

Lagarde

New sustainable materials

Whether they are co-products from the agricultural or food industries (seafood, mushrooms, coconuts, bamboo, sugar cane), forestry (wood, bark, etc.) or ceramic waste, a lot of new materials are invading our packaging realm.

These materials are attractive for the innovative notion they confer and the story worthiness they offer. There is a lot to say to the consumers about new packaging compounds. Firstly, you are moving away from petroleum, microplastics, ocean waste and all the rest of it, and secondly, the technological, as well as natural aspect, is a captivating storyline.

As an example, TheShellworks is currently developing new packaging from a bacteria digested polymer that is certified fully biodegradable. It will degrade in an industrial composter in about 5 weeks. The company currently offers a palette of 10 colours from off-white to dark mandarin orange or navy blue or black.

Another good example is with Chanel using the moulded pulp made from bamboo and bagasse (sugarcane waste) fibres by Knoll Packaging, and now the caps made with the bio-compound from Sulapac (90% bio-based materials, 10% of which are products derived from camellias), for the new Chanel n°1 range. An interesting move, indeed, from a major luxury player that would probably encourage more brands to embrace these new materials.

Educating consumers

It’s worth noting that these new materials could be limited in shapes, colour finishes or decoration capabilities. These materials are also under a new stream of recycling, often through industrial composting (although they will eventually fully degrade in nature), they can damage the current plastic recycling stream if they end up in there. So a clear communication and educational message to consumers are really important to ensure an optimum end of life.

A refill revolution

There are three ways to implement a refill model. Either through dual inventory in-store, with a host packaging and a refill cartridge or else. Many brands have developed this idea including Tata Harper, Fenty Beauty, Charlotte Tilbury, L’Occitane, to name a few.

The second model is based on an in-store refill device and a host of empty packaging to be filled. The model works well for rinse-off products since there is less risk of formula contamination. Some brands have already entered the game like The Body Shop (at a worldwide sale), Re (UK), Algramo (Chile), The Refillery (Philippines), Mustela (France). For leave on skincare products, French brand Cozie has developed a device that keeps the formula under airtight condition during filling and prints batch numbers for regulatory compliance. The brand has also developed the system for other brands and is working on an overall logistic chain for the collection, cleaning and return of packaging in the loop system.

The third way is to offer a subscription opportunity to consumers, where they receive a refill regularly. Brands with this model include 900.care, What Matters, Izzy, Wild. Within this trend, a lot of brands are now offering extemporaneous formulas, where the consumer would only buy a lot of tablets and re-hydrate the formulas at home with water.

The refill revolution is underway, and with the introduction of new regulations banning single-use plastics, chances are that we’ll see a lot of new initiatives in the near future. Consumers might take time to pick up this new habit and retailers need to adapt as well considering the space, cost and logistical challenges. The supply chain will also need to reorganise its processes to provide stores with “bulk” formulas in a seamless fashion. Until standard systems are set, it might remain a complex alternative.

End of life management

Today, only a very small percentage of beauty items get recycled. You know the drill. They are either “too small” or “too complex” (multiple layers of different materials, material mix, etc.) to get recycled. But now, with regulations banning some packaging items, pushing some material streams, or pushing the percentage of PCR content, a new balance needs to be found for a better recyclability of beauty products packaging.

To capture and manage the beauty empties, beauty brands work together with specialized organisations. In the U.S., for instance, Credo Beauty cooperates with Pact Collective, and L’Occitane and Garnier with TerraCycle. Also in the U.S., a coalition of brands is now working on small format analysis to optimise recycling.