Sustainability has been a buzzword that has been trending for a hot moment. With issues such as global warming becoming more relevant than ever, consumers are voting with their dollars for greener labels that will leave a smaller burden on the environment.
Many look to fashion to clean up its act—the industry is, after all, one of the most polluting in the world—but the beauty world has been catching up with the green movement.
Ahead, we shine the spotlight on eight labels that are waving the sustainable flag loud and proud, and highlight some of the initiatives they are pushing for.
Besides flying the cruelty-free flag, The Body Shop has also taken steps to reduce their carbon footprint. For example, the brand has a “Return. Recycle. Repeat.” initiative since 1993 that allows you to return empty Body Shop containers. These are then sent to their partner, Sembcorp, for recycling. Every plastic bottle or tub returned will earn you a stamp—collect five and exchange it for a reward.
Founded by Tay Yu Hui, 13rushes is a Singaporean label committed to creating makeup brushes with quality synthetic bristles at affordable prices. The Conscious Collection takes it a step further: The handles are made with biodegradable wood that isn’t treated with lacquer or paint and while the bristles are not biodegradable, it is a more ethical choice compared to natural fibres obtained from captive animals in fur farms.
One of the local brands that wears the sustainability badge is Re:erth. They have partnered with Environmental Solutions Asia to recycle used Re:erth bottles. All you have to do is drop them off at the recycling bin located at Design Orchard and you can earn reward credits that can be used on their online store.
PS: you don’t need to dismantle and clean the bottles before doing so—just drop them off as is.
Clean beauty meets sustainability at Love, Beauty and Planet. Ingredients used to make the brand’s range of personal care products are vegan and cruelty-free. The products are also silicone-, paraben- and dye-free as well. In addition, the bottles are also made with post-consumer recycled plastic while its conditioners are made with fast-rinse conditioner technology to work effectively while also reducing water usage
Replacing the entire bottle each time a product finishes is the easiest way to fill up a landfill, which is why L’Occitane’s eco-refills are a sustainable alternative to this conundrum. The French label’s bottles and refills are made with recycled plastic and the latter is touted to reduce plastic wastage by a whopping 90 per cent. And starting in April 2020, you can recycle any full-sized beauty empties at Ion Orchard, Plaza Singapura or Vivocity stores to receive a stamp, with every 10 earning a redeeming of a L’Occitane beauty product.
(Read more here: “Recycle All Your Empty Beauty Containers To Get Free L’Occitane Products“)
If you’re one who likes to invest in skincare or like pampering yourself with a bougie high-end label, Tata Harper is for you. Other than its clean formulation made with natural ingredients, the cruelty-free label also employs sustainable packaging that includes using glass bottles, soy ink, recycled paper and minimal plastics derived from corn resins.
Vegan and cruelty-free label Ren uses recycled ocean plastics and post-consumer recycled plastics to package their formulations. They have also partnered with organisations such as Surfers Against Sewage and Plastic Patrol to clean up the earth and further the green movement.
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This article was first published in Cleo.