L’Oréal Exec Provides Update on Research & Sustainability Efforts

The Consumer Products Division of L'Oréal is focused on reduced water consumption and recycled plastic for skincare and hair care products and packaging. It's all part of the L'Oréal for the Future program, which established sustainability goals to 2030. 

At the Consumer Goods Forum held in Dublin last month, Consumer Products Division Chief Alexis Perakis-Valat reviews water conservation efforts and new product developments. For example, 70% of the PET plastic that L'Oréal uses worldwide is recycled. And 25 of its 44 manufacturing facilities are carbon neutral.

Of course, more work needs to be done. Perakis-Valat pointed to L'Oréal's Waterloop Factory concept, which calls for the group to use recycled and reused water for all of its industrial purposes by 2030. Water is the focus of one of L'Oréal's newest launches, Garnier Ultimate Blends (Ultra Doux) No Rinse Conditioner. The rinseless conditioner is packaged in a carton tube with a small cap to minimize plastic.

To help consumers sustainably consume, L’Oréal developed the Product Impact Labelling system. PIL informs consumers about the environmental and social impact of L’Oréal’s products. It was first introduced for Garnier hair care in France in 2020.

L’Oréal is also a member of the EcoBeautyScore Consortium, which involves 36 cosmetics industry companies and associations. They have set out to co-develop an environmental assessment and scoring system for cosmetics products industry-wide. 

Not to be outdone, the Consumer Goods Forum issued a common frame on packaging design principles to reduce waste and the carbon footprint. The nine “Golden Design Rules” included focusing on increasing the value of PET recycling and removing “problematic elements” from packaging, such as undetected carbon black and PVC.

During the Forum, Perakis-Valat told WWD that the US makeup market is back post-covid. Elsewhere, Europe is slowly recovering and new beauty consumers are emerging in Latin America, Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East, North Africa & sub-Saharan Africa.

“Democratizing the best of beauty is a thrilling adventure,” insists Perakis-Valat.