As the beauty industry continues to rapidly expand there has been an increased focus on the amount of packaging used by some of the industry’s leaders and the question still remains, is it all really needed? Here we are going to look at the beauty industry and what steps could be taken to make it more eco-friendly and help create a greener parcel delivery service.
Packaging
When companies think about the packaging that they are looking to create, more often than not they want to make it look as colourful as possible. However, this has led to an abundance of waste packaging that is purely used for the market value. With plenty of packaging and intricate designs, this is having a huge effect on the environment and often goes unnoticed.
One of the most recent examples of this use of excess packaging is Christmas gifting. Each item that comes in a ‘bundle’ is also housed in a large amount of cardboard and plastic, some of which cannot be recycled. This then ends up in a landfill and is having a profound effect on the environment but it can be reduced. With the introduction of minimalist packaging, companies can still fit the same amount inside on their packaging without harming the environment, thus reducing their carbon footprint.
Step In The Right Direction
As more and more people became aware of the rising problem of waste within the beauty industry there was a large movement surrounding the use of microbeads within beauty products which then led to the ban of this in products moving forward. This is a step in the right direction as brands are addressing issues and finding more eco-friendly alternatives that have the same benefits.
Since seeing outstanding results the same is to be said about packaging, with this being a problem in all industries, many of the largest corporations are starting to reduce the packaging that they are using and still having the same marketing effects. With brands such as Lush opting for no packaging in order to correspond with their natural planet ethos, they are saving the planet and being supported for being at the forefront of the movement.
What’s Next?
In order to combat the problem, there is a lot that has to change. With a multitude of companies using an abundance of packing types, some of which cannot be recycled, there is plenty that can be done in order to accommodate this change. With industry leaders such as Burts Bes and La Mer being at the forefront of recyclable packaging, there is hope that we will have less waste that is generated by the beauty industry.
However, this does present its own challenges. When creating packaging for beauty products it is paramount to consider the sanitisation of the product. With items at lush being packaged with recyclable paper and other products such as La Mer products using recyclable plastic, there is the element of sanitisation without the need for all the excess packaging making for a greener and more forward-thinking beauty industry making this a step in the right direction for other brands to follow suit.
