Beauty Industry CEOs: 3 Recommendations to Improve Your Environmental Practices

Beauty industry CEOs should address increased concern about beauty products' negative impact on the environment. While receiving the Integrated Marketing Communications Certificate at Northwestern University and interning for a beauty PR company two summers ago, my interest for the beauty industry's environmental practices has grown; the two following articles are particularly useful when considering the topic.

Giselle La Pompe-Moore’s article The Beauty Industry’s Plastic Problem: What Exactly Being Done About It?, featured in byrdie.com, discusses the beauty industry’s large impact in the world’s over-use of plastic. La Pompe-Moore explains that beauty products’ excess packaging, plastic containers, and single-use functions contribute to the ocean’s pollution, leading to the death of fish, marine mammals, and sea birds. The article then moves to the progress being made in the UK and the beauty industry. The UK government banned plastic microbeads and has discussed banning single-use plastic items such as cotton buds and wet wipes. Meanwhile, brands like Garnier, Origins, and Tata Harper are limiting packaging, making it easier for consumers to recycle packaging, and creating reusable glass packaging.

source: https://intothegloss.com/2016/05/how-long-do-beauty-products-last/

In Why Eco-Friendly Beauty Packaging is on the Rise in 2017 featured in allure.com, writer Candace Bryan explores the rise of the trend to go green within the beauty industry. Bryan explains what makes packaging sustainable; while no exact definition exists, renewable, recycled, or biodegradable materials, a simple shape that leaves no leftover space, a lighter weight, and use of less energy during the manufacturing process are all features that contribute to sustainable packaging. Bryan explains that beauty brands have trouble going green because their retailers impose packaging guidelines on them, the products are delicate, and products can go bad (like food) if not packaged correctly. Moreover, plastic is cheap and sustainable packaging is usually more costly. Regardless, starting in 2017, many big name brands are joining the ranks of Tata Harper, Juice Beauty, and Lush -- pioneers of the green movement. The reason Bryan gives for this movement is that consumers care more than ever about their consumption’s impact on the environment and are more aware of what goes into their products – ingredients and packaging wise.

Based on these two articles and my experience at Northwestern University, I have developed 3 action items you should consider the next time you're thinking about your beauty brand's environmental impact.

• Think Reusable Packaging -- When designing packaging, brands need to consider ways that would make consumers want to reuse the packaging as containers or a way to hold brushes.

• Invest in Innovation -- Companies need to invest in research in how to create packaging that avoids plastic and other ingredients that harm the environment.

• Educate Consumers -- After creating reusable packaging and investing in packaging innovation, brands should educate consumers on the importance of refilling or reusing their products' packaging and opting to buy from brands that are attempting to use eco-friendly packaging.

Next time you're thinking about your beauty brand's environmental impact, remember these three points.

Emma Hodge is a student at

Northwestern University, studying

English Literature and Integrated

Marketing Communications. 

You can connect with her on 

Twitter and LinkedIn.