In the face of significant food waste, cosmetic waste unfortunately does not lag behind. It is divided into two areas: upstream waste carried out by manufacturers and downstream waste linked to consumer behaviour.
Cosmetic waste in France.
The responsibility of industrialists in cosmetic waste.
Firstly, industrialists are accountable for their packaging choices. In France, the cosmetics sector consumes approximately 55,000 tonnes of plastic per year, which is just over 5% of all household plastic packaging.However, the law relating to the fight against waste and the circular economy (AGEC) of 10th February 2020 provides for the elimination of single-use plastic packaging by 2040 and 100% of plastic packaging to be recycled by 2025.
Furthermore, skincare and beauty companies are also responsible for managing their unsold and defective product stocks. In this regard, the AGEC law imposes an obligation to manage unsold items by setting priority orders in three R's: Reuse (donation), Reutilisation and Recycling. Furthermore, it prohibits the destruction of unsold items. Manufacturers are thus encouraged to promote eco-design, as well as recycled and recyclable raw materials. Concentrated formulas and large sizes are also alternatives to reduce waste in cosmetics.
recyclable materials :
Our serums and vegetable oils are stored in glass bottles, a recyclable and durable material. Glass is made up of natural minerals (sand, limestone and soda carbonate), making it ideal for preserving cosmetic products due to its neutrality and stability: it is inert and unalterable. Furthermore, the flat and rectangular shape of the glass bottle allows for optimal volume utilisation during transportation, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of each package. Indeed, this allows them to be easily nested, thus reducing the size of the packages and the rate of void space. The amber colour of the bottle helps to protect the product from light.
The large plastic bottles of our hydrosols, shampoos, cleansers, etc... contain a proportion of 30% recycled plastic. We are in search of alternative solutions with the ambition to use only already recycled plastic. Indeed, in 2022, we set ourselves the goal of increasing this proportion to 100% recycled plastic. As with our glass bottles, the flat and rectangular shape, and the amber colour have been favoured to reduce the carbon footprint of each shipment.
We have also made the decision to opt for aluminium tubes for our creams, masks, scrubs, etc... Extremely lightweight and durable, it is one of the few materials that can be infinitely recycledwithout ever losing its quality. Moreover, it does not allow air to pass through and thus helps to reduce the risk of formula oxidation. Therefore, you can use your skincare product to the last drop without wasting any, thanks to better preservation. We have transitioned to 100% recycled aluminium, of which 95% is PCR (Post-Consumer Recycling) from used aluminium packaging and 5% is PIR (Post-Industrial Recycling) from industrial waste.
Finally, all our shipping boxes, tissue papers and paper-based cases are FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified, issued by the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) association. This certification ensures the legality of wood exploitation, the absence of links with illegal deforestation, sustainable forest management and the conservation of biodiversity.
Consumer-related cosmetic waste.
Waste is also directly linked to our consumption habits. Razors, toothbrushes, unfinished skincare products... These are all items that we regularly throw away, polluting the environment, and particularly the oceans. In France, a study conducted by IFOP highlighted an interesting fact: about one in two women stop using a skincare product before it is finished. This behaviour can be explained by various reasons: a formula that is no longer suitable for their skin needs, adverse effects following its application (redness, itching, tightness), disappointment with the product's sensoriality (smell, touch, texture), or the desire to try a new skincare product.
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