Advancements are being made in bioplastics, board stocks, and other materials, yet cosmetics companies are lagging behind other product categories in adopting sustainable packaging.
Insidecosmeceuticals.com cites an Organic Monitor report concluding that cosmetic companies are aware of the environmental impact of packaging. However, they are choosing to focus instead on new product formulations to answer sustainability objectives.
Among cosmetic companies at the leading edge of sustainable design, natural cosmetic firms, such as Neal’s Yard Remedies, have opted for Post Consumer Regrind (PCR) PET bottles Others have committed to using only recycled materials.
Aveda is one cosmetics company at the forefront of sustainable packaging. Part of the Estée Lauder Companies, Aveda has adopted a cradle-to-cradle assessment of the lifecycle of its packaging.
John Delfausse, vice president, global package development, and chief environmental officer at Estée Lauder, says the company pays close attention to the impact of each package for all of its brands, and how it affects the environment. Its holiday gift boxes all are at least 10% post-consumer recycled content. Improvements such as this are made possible, Defausse says, by looking at sustainability as a journey that moves forward through incremental steps.
