By: Hlub Her
World Environment Day, abbreviated as WED, was created by the United Nations in 1974. The purpose of WED is to encourage everyone to be aware of environmental concerns. One of the main ones that is relevant to the beauty industry is plastic waste. Aside from food, plastic is the second-most landfilled material, according to the EPA. It makes up 19.9 percent of landfilled materials, which is no surprise.
Plastic is everywhere, so it's common for it to be part of beauty packaging. Especially nowadays when aesthetics is so important. For beauty brands, packaging not only serves to protect the product it holds. It also conveys a brand's image and attracts consumers to the product, which is all part of marketing. And it works.
When you see products in-store or online, you immediately notice the colors. And colors like green can make you associate that with being eco-friendly. Especially if there are words like "organic" on the packaging. Meanwhile, colors like gold might make you perceive the product as luxurious.
So, when you think about it, making products look appealing can be enough to encourage anyone to buy it. (I admit I do feel tempted to buy a product just for the packaging.) But, have you ever wondered how much waste beauty packaging has created?
Specifically, in the beauty industry, a 2008 Euromonitor report revealed that 40 percent of beauty industry packaging was plastic. That is, 48.32 billion units of packaging out of 120.8 billion units. Fortunately, since then, companies have rolled out with more eco-friendly packaging. This is possible by using biodegradable or recyclable packaging material. Particularly for plastic, biodegradable plastic. But, there are still companies who are not sustainable. What do you do then?
What you can do about plastic waste
#1: Recycle your plastic.
Even if it feels like a chore, it can make a big difference in the long run. You can't see the difference you're making immediately. But it's reassuring to know your plastic is being disposed of properly.
#2: Continue to advocate for more eco-friendly products.
Most companies care what their customers have to say, because they want to give them what they want. So, let them know you want them to be more conscious of their environmental impact.
#3: Buy consciously.
When it comes to beauty and sustainability, it's important to read the packaging. If a company produced a product with sustainable packaging, they will have it on the label. Why? Because they know you care. So, look for words like "100% biodegradable" or "reusable packaging" when shopping for beauty products.
Please remember, though, that nothing is ever perfect. Achieving zero waste can be difficult, as we live in a world that thrives on consumption. It’s hard to always be conscientious of what you buy. It’s harder yet to change others. So, don’t beat yourself up for making mistakes. Or for not being eco-friendly enough.
Sure. It'd be ideal to have no waste sent to landfills but being sustainable is a process. There’s always room for improvements, because sustainability is a lifestyle. A way of living consciously. Consequently, your idea of being eco-friendly will be different from someone else. And, that’s okay, all we can do is our best.
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