It’s no secret the beauty industry has been a big contributor to waste, both in landfill and our oceans.
And while brands are certainly becoming more sustainable – swapping out plastics, repurposing waste and using environmentally-conscious ingredients – change doesn’t tend to happen overnight.
The greatest challenge facing many big beauty giants is untangling years of common processes and production chains, all while balancing consumer demand.
With 1.5 billion consumers worldwide, L’Oréal has the power to make a huge impact. The group has been responding to environmental challenges already, by reducing the CO2 emissions of its plants and distribution centres by 78% and at the end of 2019, L’Oréal had 35 carbon-neutral sites.
But the fight for the future of our planet is only just beginning and the brand recently committed to further sustainability plans, with a precise path laid out between now and 2030.
Renewable energy
By 2025, all of L’Oréal’s sites will have achieved carbon neutrality by improving energy efficiency and using 100% renewable energy.
No more plastic waste
By 2030, 100% of the plastics used in L’Oréal’s products’ packaging will be either from recycled or bio-based sources.
This is particularly important, because while by-passing plastics altogether is great, repurposing and putting to use the stacks of materials laying in landfill (and not decomposing any time soon) is actively improving the situation, rather than just not ‘adding to it’.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
By 2030, L’Oréal will reduce by 50% per finished product, compared to 2016, its entire greenhouse gas emissions.
Putting in the $$
In May 2020, L’Oréal also allocated €150 million (roughly $240 million in AUD) to address urgent social and environmental issues. This included finance for damaged natural marine and forest ecosystems restoration projects.
The Group’s quantifiable targets for 2030 are geared towards the fight against climate change, while addressing other major environmental issues such as preservation of biodiversity, sustainable water management and circular use of resources.
“L’Oréal’s sustainable revolution is entering a new era. The challenges the planet is facing are unprecedented, and it is essential to accelerate our efforts to preserve a safe operating space for humanity,” said Jean-Paul Agon, Chairman and CEO of L’Oréal.
