Abstract

Sustainability is not a trend but a must as the impact of climate change is now felt in real-time. With growing climate anxiety and increasing green legislation, personal care companies are faced with an escalating pressure to improve their environmental footprints, as quickly as possible, while still maintaining financial profits [1]

According to the Sustainable Beauty Coalition, a survey of 23,000 beauty shoppers found almost half (48%) are looking for more information and clarity on brands’ values and commitments to the environment [2]. This is supported by the research of Provenance, a global leader in sustainability communications technology, which has shown that 79% of beauty shoppers have doubts about the trustworthiness of sustainability claims, highlighting the issues of greenwashing within personal care [3].

The industrial economy runs primarily on a linear ‘take-make-dispose’ model. It’s no secret that this overconsumption of the earth’s resources, coupled with the amount of waste produced, is having a detrimental impact on our planet. But this impact can be mitigated by refocusing efforts on a circular economy, centred on waste prevention and reuse. 

Circular beauty is a green business model that focuses on repairing, reusing, and extending a product’s life cycle by minimising waste across all aspects of the supply chain. To achieve circular beauty, businesses must look at every step in the creation of a product; from the ingredients used to how packaging is disposed of.  Fortunately, this zero-waste movement, which seeks to redesign resource lifecycles, is gaining momentum. Companies of all shapes and sizes are strategizing to eliminate waste across their supply chains to reduce their environmental impact [4]. This zero-waste transition improves transparency throughout the supply chain and helps beauty consumers to identify authentic sustainability actions. With a focus on ingredients and formulas, as well as packaging materials, let’s explore the future of zero-waste beauty. Let’s talk trash. 

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