While beauty brands are becoming more and more vocal about their planet-friendly practices, can they bid plastic a permanent goodbye?
From your favourite facial cream to your pre-make-up primer, so many of the beauty products that we use on a daily basis come packaged in plastic tubes and jars. And, for the longest time, single-use virgin plastic was a given in your beauty staples. While beauty is not the only industry generating plastic waste, it definitely passes as one of the most plastic waste-producing industries. According to a report by Plastic Pollution Coalition, the global cosmetic and personal care industry churns out approximately 120 billion units of plastic by the agency of packaging alone—the microplastics (or liquid plastics) that go into the making of your skincare and make-up products are alarming add-ons.
However, despite the cogent chatter about recyclability and reusability by brands that have coaxed us into believing that the beauty industry is heading towards a better place, only nine per cent of the prodigious plastic production—ever since it was introduced as a viable commercial product in 1950—has been recycled to date. Ninety-one per cent of plastic (and counting) remains untouched, untreated and has signed itself up for landfills, which means it could take a minimum of 450 years to break down. Another report by sustainability software and management platform Snowkap discloses: “Approximately one billion tubes of lipstick are thrown out every year. Additionally, 400 million single-use silicone moulds are used to print a logo on a stick that will wear off after application. These are all things that can’t be recycled. This atrocious number is only referring to lipsticks; most personal care and beauty products end up in landfills.”
While a slew of brands like L’Occitane, Kiehl’s and The Body Shop have devised sustainability-promoting plans and programmes and activated them in stores, others like Superzero have switched to bar-based products only. Closer home, Bare Necessities and Juicy Chemistry have either completely eliminated or drastically minimised the employment of plastic in their packaging. In spite of these steps taken by a handful of companies, the beauty industry, at large, continues to engage in the utilisation of plastic. We speak to some players from the industry to understand why plastic has subsisted as the irreplaceable villain of this space.
Why do brands use plastic in the first place?
When plastic was introduced as a material that can be used for commercial packaging purposes in the 1950s, no one must have anticipated the potential damage that it could cause to the environment. Today, over 70 years later, plastic stands as one of the biggest threats to the planet. Then, why do brands still use plastic? “One of the primary reasons for using plastic in packaging is for its cost-effectiveness. Additionally, it is versatile in terms of design and functionality; it can be moulded into different shapes and sizes. When packaging looks different, it is a way for a brand to stand out. It also provides a barrier that helps protect the product from contamination and moisture,” explains Sahar Mansoor, co-founder, Bare Necessities.
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According to a report by Plastic Pollution Coalition, the global cosmetic and personal care industry churns out approximately 120 billion units of plastic by the agency of packaging alone. Image: Pexels
Megha Asher, co-founder and COO, Juicy Chemistry, agrees, “Plastic is certainly cheaper and it is also more durable as opposed to something like say, glass or even paper. Having said that, there is no denying the environmental impact of a material such as this, as it is made from fossil fuels and is non-biodegradable. Across industries, we’ve simply relied too much on plastic and now it has come back to haunt us.” While some brands like Bare Necessities have managed to annihilate the use of plastic by considering alternate materials, certain brands reach out to plastic to solve specific problems pertaining to the logistics of the product.
“Even though we try to minimise plastic in our packaging, there are still some elements of it, like our bottle caps and outer covering for the packaging,” shares Bhaskara Seth, co-founder, Neemli Naturals. “In our experience, it’s not as much about cost-effectiveness but rather the durability factor—it can withstand impact better and is less prone to breakage. It is also very easily available and is super lightweight,” he further explains. Along the same lines, Anju Rupal, founder of Abhati Suisse, states that for larger quantity products such as theirs, tubes are the most foolproof packaging for showers and bathrooms. “From our customer surveys, we learn that that is what was wished for. Plus, we did a lot of research around glass and found that it’s not entirely environment-friendly either,” says Rupal.
“OPTING FOR ANOTHER MATERIAL MIGHT BE POSSIBLE BUT IT WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY DRIVE UP THE PRICE AND AFFECT ECONOMIC VIABILITY. THIS IS WHERE THE CONSUMER MINDSET ALSO COMES INTO PLAY”
Megha Asher
While plastic bottles, or even pumps or dispensers made up of non-biodegradable material, serve as the initial premise of user experience and user convenience when compared to its counterparts such as glass (which is very fragile and heavy) or aluminium tin that requires you to dunk your fingers into the product (to maintain a product-scooping spatula comes with a separate set of challenges from a hygiene point of view), the treacherous effects of the imprudent and exhaustive use of plastic has left us in no position to use it any further.
What does clean, non-toxic packaging entail?
While working at SELCO Foundation, Mansoor had the opportunity to follow waste pickers or “waste warriors” (how she prefers to address them). “Every day thousands of them segregate broken glass, sanitary napkins and needles all with their bare hands. I wanted to stop being part of the problem,” she begins. “As I started my personal zero-waste journey, I soon wanted to create a brand that reflected the same values, and Bare Necessities was thus born. I was adamant to use zero-waste packaging with no plastic across all our products and we have been successful in doing so.” Mansoor typically implements glass jars in her packaging, which are sealed with tin or cork lids. And, before you ask, “Yes, it does prevent contamination and moisture from reaching the product,” confirms the founder.
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“I was adamant to use zero-waste packaging with no plastic across all our products and we have been successful in doing so,” says Sahar Mansoor. Image: Instagram.com/barenecessities_zerowasteindia
Sharing how she tackles the packaging problem, Asher says, “We prefer using aluminium, glass and paper where possible, ensuring that over 95 per cent of our packing material is plastic-free. We even make a point to construct boxes in such a manner that little to no filling is required to keep the products secure and safe. Plus the filling we use is paper-based. However, there are select categories and pieces, such as shampoo and conditioner bottles and pumps, that are made of plastic, and those are recyclable PET-grade plastic.” Even Abhati Suisse’s hair care products champion a blend of 74 per cent sugarcane and recycled PCR materials. “We have also explored tubes made out of chalk and are currently testing this material for our creams,” reveals Rupal. Recently, Asher’s Juicy Chemistry also launched a line of make-up products dubbed ‘Color Chemistry’ with lip crayons and kajals that are entirely wood-based, save for the caps that are recyclable.
PCR/PET plastic bottles imply that they are made up of recycled plastic instead of virgin plastic. Defining PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastic, the British Beauty Council says, “It is required to be collected from residential recycling systems or after-market recycling systems in order to be qualified as PCR PET; in other words, it has to have actually been used by a consumer before recycling.” However, packaging fabricated using PCR plastic cannot be recycled any further, eventually putting a full stop to the chain of recycling and reusing.
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Hair care brand Aveda recently got BCorp certification. Image: Instagram.com/avedaindia
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Brands like L’Occitane, Kiehl’s and The Body Shop have devised sustainability-promoting plans and programmes and activated them in stores. Image: Instagram.com/loccitaneindia
“Even for the portion that is recyclable, the truth is that 90 per cent of our plastic is not getting recycled,” Conny Wittke, founder of Superzero, toldForbes. “For the small portion that does get recycled, the process requires substantial water and energy and can lead to environmental injustice through offshoring plastic waste to emerging countries, which unfortunately still counts in shared recycling rates. As a result of this, most plastic finds its way to landfills and into our oceans, slowly turning into microplastics as it degrades which harms animals and contaminates our food chain. Lastly, even without taking the end of life of a product into mind, there are harmful impacts of the unnecessary use of plastic, as plastics are largely made from fossil fuels which, as we know, negatively impacts the climate.”
Can the beauty industry ban the use of plastic?
“As awareness about the environmental impact of plastic increases, many beauty brands are moving away from it to explore packaging options that are sustainable, such as glass, metal and paper. It also aligns with the growing consumer demand for eco-friendly and plastic-free packaging solutions,” says Mansoor. However, banning plastic to the hilt is easier said than done. “Certain mechanisms and functions require the use of plastic,” points out Asher. “Opting for another material might be possible but it would significantly drive up the price and affect economic viability. This is where the consumer mindset also comes into play. Would the average consumer be comfortable paying a hefty price for a fully non-plastic product?” she questions. “So is it possible to completely cut out plastic packaging? As of date, no. Can plastic packaging be drastically reduced? Yes.”
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“We did a lot of research around glass and found that it’s not entirely environment-friendly either,” says Anju Rupal. Image: Instagram.com/abhatisuisse
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Recently, Juicy Chemistry also launched a line of make-up products dubbed ‘Color Chemistry’ with lip crayons and kajals that are entirely wood-based, save for the caps that are recyclable. Image: Instagram.com/juicychemistry
“In Europe, we’re moving towards recycled plastic that supports the circular economy. And pressure from companies like Abhati Suisse means suppliers are looking for better solutions for lids too. However, as of now, all pumps come from China and it’s difficult to control the supply chain,” says Rupal, who believes cutting out plastic entirely is difficult, but keeping it in the loop for recycling is still a mindful way of using plastic. Exemplifying why plastic still passes as a considerable choice for brands and companies, Asher says that our body washes, shampoos and conditioners are housed in plastic bottles, largely as a result of customer feedback. “We realised glass bottles might not be that safe an option so prefer to stick with recyclable PET bottles. Certain parts of packaging continue to be plastic, such as the foundation pump and mascara pump, given the mechanism involved.”
To bring about change is a shared responsibility
“Eliminating plastic completely requires research to find alternative materials and collaboration amongst brands, suppliers and manufacturers. Increased consumer demand for plastic-free alternatives should be leveraged by brands, while also increasing awareness in parallel. Governments can play a critical role in implementing policies and regulations that encourage and enforce the use of sustainable packaging materials,” believes Mansoor. “As a consumer, it is imperative to look for brands that are transparent and share detailed information about their packaging materials. Additionally, looking at the entire life cycle from sourcing to manufacturing to transportation, will help gauge if the brand is committed to the larger idea of sustainability. Checking if a brand is certified by a third party such as BCorp or USDA Organic, can provide more credibility to a brand’s commitment to sustainable practices,” concludes Mansoor.
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