Let’s act more sustainable: COSSMA

Many companies claim to be working on the environmental friendliness of their products. But how can the industry as a whole become more sustainable? Olivia Hagan looks at different aspects and shows what the current state of affairs is.

Sustainability has become more of a concern throughout different industries, and the beauty industry is no different. Many people are more conscious of the effect products, and the people who make them, can have on our environment, whether that’s during the production process or when they’re ready to be discarded.

The global beauty industry was estimated to be worth $603 billion1 (more than 540 billion Euros) in 2021, so it would be an understatement to say it has only little impact on the environment.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at what the beauty industry is doing to become more sustainable.

Recycling schemes

Globally, the beauty industry produces 120 billion units of packaging every year², much of which ends up in landfill. Landfill sites release harmful gases into the atmosphere, plus we’re running out of places for them to go.

Using recyclable packaging is an obvious solution, but not all recycling is created equal, and not all rubbish which gets put in a home recycling bin is actually recycled. Therefore, some brands now have their own schemes to ensure their customers know products can be disposed of responsibly.

Some physical stores are now likely to have boxes where customers can deposit empty packaging to be collected by recycling companies and made into something new. Or they may have their own closed-loop systems, where the packaging is remade or cleaned and reused.

Often, there’ll be an incentive to encourage customers to use these systems, like free products or money towards their next purchase.

Refill stations

The most sustainable thing you can do is use what you already have. Which is why refill stations are becoming more common for many items, including food, drink – and beauty products.

Refill stations are normally found in zero-waste stores. All you need to do is bring your container of choice, weigh it, fill it with your chosen product, like shampoo or shower gel, then weigh it again to find out how much it costs. Not only is this more sustainable for the customer, but the products at the store are normally bought in large, bulk packaging, which is more eco-friendly than getting lots of smaller bottles.

Data from the LCA Centre³ shows that if refillable containers were used for cosmetics, up to 70% of carbon emissions associated with the beauty industry⁴ could be avoided.

Surplus and upcycled ingredients

Food waste is harmful because it produces methane, a greenhouse gas which contributes towards climate change. More frequently, schemes are designed to donate surplus food for people to eat, but the beauty industry has also discovered these as raw materials and is happy to use them to produce new products and active ingredients.

Items such as coffee grounds can be used in body scrubs, while fruits and vegetables like bananas and carrots can be used in hair products and skincare.

In addition to surplus food, waste from food processing is also gaining more and more supporters among researchers and developers. Whether apple pomace, orange peel or much more – the dedicated chemists find ways to upcycle this waste to create valuable and effective ingredients.

Reef-safe sunscreen

We all know the importance of wearing sunscreen to protect skin from harmful UV rays to avoid premature skin ageing, also known as photo-ageing, and diseases that can even lead to cancer. However, research has shown that the ingre- dients in some sunscreens have great potential to damage coral reefs and other marine life if it’s released into the water when people swim. The fact is, however, that too much sun protection in the oceans has a negative impact on the sensitive ecosystem. It’s estimated that 14,000 tonnes of sunscreen⁵ end up in the ocean each year.

Fortunately, companies have recognised this and the number of reef-safe sunscreens on the market is growing. The term “reef-safe” isn’t regulated at present, but you can look for the key ingredients on the bottle: oxide and titanium dioxide are normally considered acceptable.

It has not yet been possible to determine in detail which ingredients in which concentration have which effects, but numerous researchers are working on it. Initial results show which ingredients are probably responsible and should be better avoided⁶:

Oxybenzone
Octinoxate
Octocrylene
4-methylbenzylidene camphor
p-Aminobenzoic Acid (PABA)
Parabens
Triclosan
Any nanoparticles, or “nano-sized” zinc or titanium
Any form of microplastic, such as “exfoliating beads”

Conclusion

While there’s still a lot of progress to be made in terms of sustainability, it’s encouraging to see the beauty industry take strides towards it. And as customer demand for eco-friendly products increases, brands will need to take these steps in the right direction to ensure they remain popular and profitable.