The world's $500 billion beauty industry is shifting towards sustainability, but its efforts are more of a patchwork than a cohesive strategy.
According to Simon Kucher's Global Sustainability Study 2021, 60% of consumers worldwide consider sustainability an important factor when making purchasing decisions, and 35% are willing to pay more for sustainable products. This shift in consumer preferences has prompted many beauty brands to set environmental goals, such as reducing single-use plastics, offering recyclable packaging, and increasing transparency about ingredients.
However, despite these efforts, consumers continue to struggle to understand the sustainability credentials of many products. The industry's clean-up efforts have been inconsistent, and fall short of making a recognizable impact in the absence of collective goal-setting and global strategy.
One major challenge facing the beauty industry is plastic packaging. 95% of it is thrown away, and the vast majority is not recycled. Beauty giant L'Oréal used 144,430 metric tons of plastic in its packaging material in 2021, while Estee Lauder Companies reported producing 71,600 metric tons of plastic. The global plastic waste recycling rate stands at just 9%, with only 4% of US plastic waste being recycled.
To address this issue, many brands are trying to phase out harmful plastics and adopt post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic. L'Oréal aims for 50% PCR plastic usage by 2025, while Estee Lauder is targeting 25%. However, the cost and sourcing of PCR plastic pose significant challenges.
Beauty retailers also play a pivotal role in sustainability, but many have inconsistent standards when it comes to stocking sustainable brands. Some smaller businesses move more nimbly towards sustainability, while larger brands struggle to change their supply chains.
Governments and multinationals enforcing regulations and setting minimum requirements could help drive meaningful change. However, market leadership is seen as key, with consumers and brands taking initiative in the absence of bold regulations or global standards.
As Susanne Kaufmann, founder of her namesake beauty brand, notes, "Regulation can raise the floor a bit... But that's never going to be what the market can do." Instead, it will likely take continued collective advocacy and initiative from brands and customers to see meaningful climate-conscious change in the beauty industry.
According to Simon Kucher's Global Sustainability Study 2021, 60% of consumers worldwide consider sustainability an important factor when making purchasing decisions, and 35% are willing to pay more for sustainable products. This shift in consumer preferences has prompted many beauty brands to set environmental goals, such as reducing single-use plastics, offering recyclable packaging, and increasing transparency about ingredients.
However, despite these efforts, consumers continue to struggle to understand the sustainability credentials of many products. The industry's clean-up efforts have been inconsistent, and fall short of making a recognizable impact in the absence of collective goal-setting and global strategy.
One major challenge facing the beauty industry is plastic packaging. 95% of it is thrown away, and the vast majority is not recycled. Beauty giant L'Oréal used 144,430 metric tons of plastic in its packaging material in 2021, while Estee Lauder Companies reported producing 71,600 metric tons of plastic. The global plastic waste recycling rate stands at just 9%, with only 4% of US plastic waste being recycled.
To address this issue, many brands are trying to phase out harmful plastics and adopt post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic. L'Oréal aims for 50% PCR plastic usage by 2025, while Estee Lauder is targeting 25%. However, the cost and sourcing of PCR plastic pose significant challenges.
Beauty retailers also play a pivotal role in sustainability, but many have inconsistent standards when it comes to stocking sustainable brands. Some smaller businesses move more nimbly towards sustainability, while larger brands struggle to change their supply chains.
Governments and multinationals enforcing regulations and setting minimum requirements could help drive meaningful change. However, market leadership is seen as key, with consumers and brands taking initiative in the absence of bold regulations or global standards.
As Susanne Kaufmann, founder of her namesake beauty brand, notes, "Regulation can raise the floor a bit... But that's never going to be what the market can do." Instead, it will likely take continued collective advocacy and initiative from brands and customers to see meaningful climate-conscious change in the beauty industry.
It's all like "oh look at us we're being sustainable" but really they're just patching it together 
. Like 60% of consumers care about sustainability but the industry is still pretty trash 
. I mean 9% global plastic recycling rate? What even is that?! 
Those brands like L'Oréal and Estee Lauder are just trying to save face by saying they'll use more PCR plastic but it's all just a PR stunt 
. It's time for some real change, not just empty promises 
.
i mean, we all know how bad plastic is for the environment, but to think about all that plastic just getting chucked out like it's nothing... 
. The industry needs a collective effort, not just individual PR stunts. Brands need to step up and work together with governments and smaller businesses to create real change, not just try to spin it as a marketing ploy 
. I mean we all know how bad plastic is for the environment, but some of these companies are like "oh no, we'll just switch to PCR plastic and call it a day" 
. It's not that hard to make a change when it comes down to it, especially if it means consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products 
. And yeah, market leadership is key, but governments shouldn't be the only ones driving this movement 
. We need more transparency and accountability from these big brands, like they're really committed to making a difference before we see any real change 
.
why cant tech companies just make batteries that last longer? and omg have you tried those new eco-friendly makeup brushes? they're so cool 
but honestly, i dont know much about the beauty industry... can someone explain to me how PCR plastic works again? 
I think the beauty industry is on the right track by acknowledging sustainability as a priority, but we need more comprehensive efforts to create real impact 
. The patchwork approach is great for showcasing individual initiatives, but it's not enough when it comes to tackling plastic waste and environmental degradation 
. We need governments and multinationals to set stricter regulations and standards, while brands also take ownership of their supply chains and packaging choices 
. It's time to move beyond just 'eco-friendly' labels and focus on systemic change 
. Until then, consumers will keep calling out unsustainable practices and demanding more from the industry 
.
