10.29.21
Brands who are not taking the environment seriously in their product development need to step up their game.
A new study by transparency tech company Provenance, which helps brands prove their eco claims, together with Cult Beauty reports that 48% of consumers are looking for more information and clarity about brands' values and commitments to the environment.
The study surveys the attitudes of more than 23,000 beauty shoppers over a 12-month period.
The study also found that there was confusion about which ingredients are environmentally friendly and which simply sound as though they are. The top issues that shoppers are interested in were ingredients, recyclability of packaging and animal welfare.
The latest finding also supports recent research by the British Beauty Council, which found that 42% feel guilty about the environmental impact of their beauty purchases and nearly half want to know more about how the brands they buy impact the environment.
Despite many brands committing to using 100% recyclable packaging by 2025 – in line with the UK Plastics Pact – 61% of consumers struggle to tell if hair and skincare products are ethical from the packaging, and 42% want to know details of brand values and commitments to social causes.
Planet Positive Beauty Guide
To give consumers a better understanding of the oft-befuddling ingredients on product labels, the British Beauty Council's Sustainable Beauty Coalition has created the Planet Positive Beauty Guide – a definitive industry guide featuring easy-to-digest information to help consumers make “greener” beauty choices more confidently.
Drawing on a transparency framework from Provenance, the guide includes a comprehensive list of claims often made by the beauty industry and straightforward descriptions to help consumers understand what to look for (and what to avoid) when shopping for beauty products. The Planet Positive Beauty Guide also highlights certifications and third-party verification that shoppers can easily check for, to ensure brands can back up their eco-claims, and are not attempting to mislead or “greenwash” their products.
"This phenomenon, called 'greenwashing' can be seen not only in the misleading use of claims such as 'natural' and/or 'organic' but also 'environmentally friendly', 'clean' or 'green,’” said Jayn Sterland, chair of the Sustainable Beauty Coalition. “Greenwashing not only means shoppers are making what they think are 'green' choices which can actively harm the environment, it also drains credibility from honest brands that are genuinely sustainable and environmentally friendly."
The Planet Positive Beauty Guide is split into four chapters: ingredients, packaging, people and sustainable sourcing.
• Ingredients: Most claims made in the ingredients category are not regulated so there is widespread confusion surrounding definitions and, most importantly, their significance. This section breaks down common terms including “organic,” “vegan” and “cruelty-free” and highlight certifications consumers should be cognizant about.
• Packaging: With 95% of packaging discarded, packaging is one of the biggest sustainability challenges facing the beauty industry. This section helps shoppers understand key packaging terms such as “biodegradable,” “recyclable” and “plastic free,” and gives practical tips to help consumers make better choices and avoid waste going to landfills.
• People: A sustainable planet can’t exist without a sustainable society. This section highlights the key terms, including “fair tax” and “living wage” to help shoppers support brands and products that treat people fairly.
• Susainable Sourcing: Sustainable sourcing is more than ingredients and packaging; it brings together the elements needed to make the world a fairer place to live and work. Key terms explored in this section include “carbon footprint,” “biodiversity” and “net-zero.”
Supporting the Competition and Markets Authority's newly published Green Claims Code – which aims to help businesses communicate their green credentials while reducing the risk of misleading consumers when making environmental claims – the Planet Positive Beauty Guide will help inform shoppers and encourage the beauty industry to deliver accurate and transparent communications around their product and packaging claims.
Members of the Sustainable Beauty Coalition contributed to the guide, including Jayn Sterland, managing director of Weleda UK; Helen Cox, global environmental reporting lead at Lush; Jo Chidley, co-founder of Beauty Kitchen; Jessi Baker, MBE and founder and CEO of Provenance; and Oriele Frank, chief product and sustainability officer and co-founder of Elemis.