From trapping and endangering sea life to making its way into the food chain, the overuse of plastic is a growing problem with far-reaching consequences. Environmental experts agree that plastic pollution is becoming an increasingly urgent concern and the beauty industry is a principal contributor to this pollution. The beauty industry has created 120.8 billion units of packaging the recent years, 40% of which was made from rigid plastic. Want to make sure your beauty business isn’t making the plastic pollution problem worse? Below are the few ways to reduce plastic use in your beauty business.
No-packaging
The easiest way to scale down your plastic use in your beauty business is simply to go packaging free. There has been a huge increase in the purchase of products that don't use packaging at all. When it comes to shampoos and soaps, many brands have made package-free the new trend. Even local grocery stores now offer package-free soaps. Another easy way to go package-free is to offer safety razors and menstrual cups (as opposed to disposable razors, tampons, and pads).
Glass Packaging
Another easy way to reduce plastic use is to opt for glass packaging. The use of glass jar for packaging of your beauty products means that the containers can either be recycled or will be broken down over time. Not only glass packaging looks beautiful, but it’s also better for the marine habitat. Many famous brands such as Tata Harper, Kypris Beauty, Tammy Fender and many more have both all-natural ingredients and sustainable packaging.
Refillable beauty packages
As consumers increasingly demand products and packaging with sustainable profiles, refillable packaging seems like the ideal solution. Refillable beauty packages have great potential for companies looking to improve their green credentials. Many brands are now offering chic and refillable packaging. You can reduce the environmental footprint and plastic pollution generally associated with cosmetics, by simply offering a refill packaging to your customers. You can also offer refills of the product at lower price than the original product and associated packaging; this will attract many young costumers.
Biodegradable packaging
Package-free products are obviously the best option, but when those can’t be done for every product. Best alternative to a package-free product is to use biodegradable materials for packaging. You can use woods such as bamboo or other materials like cardboard. These materials help to ensure the product is plastic-free and will easily break down over time.
Plantable Packaging
Plantable Packaging doesn’t mean packaging for plants and flowers that can be planted and slowly turns into compost. These are packaged product, which incorporates seeds and allows the packaging to be buried in the soil and disintegrate while flowers or herbs are flourishing. Plantable packaging is basically a paper-based substance embedded with seeds. Once you open your product, the packaging can then be planted to grow herbs, flowers, or vegetables.
Use of PCR plastic
It must also be stated that not all plastic packaging is created equal. There is some sustainable form of the plastic called PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastic, which hugely minimizes the environmental damage by eliminating the need to create new plastic. According to a 2011 Huffington Post report, the carbon footprint of manufacturing a 100% PCR Polyethylene terephthalate water bottle is 60% lower than a virgin PET, even with all the energy expended on collecting, recycling, and remanufacturing the plastic. You can use PCR plastics for packaging your beauty products and can even recycle your PCR.
