Learnings From Roxhill’s Beauty And Environment Webinar

– It’s a journey: The industry’s made major progress, from innovation in eco-minded manufacturing and packaging, to ethical policy change covering all processes. But perfect doesn’t yet exist and it’s an evolving challenge for us all.

– Sustainability is becoming a baseline expectation: Naturally, while businesses need to consider profits, consumers need to consider convenience and cost. They expect products that perform as well as being sustainably inclined. One of the priorities of the beauty press is to support them in this and signpost those doing it all.

– Consumers are seeking knowledge and clarity: Google searches around ethical beauty are vastly increasing, though confusion remains. For example, 76% of Hearst beauty audiences would buy more sustainable products if it was easier to find info on them. Likewise, 70% of British consumers are either confused by, or don’t believe, sustainability claims made by health and beauty brands, The Pull Agency say. This partly explains why more people are searching ‘B Corp beauty brands’ (up 400%), given the certification is considered the A* of eco credentials.

– The war on greenwashing is raging: While it’s important for brands to be doing something than nothing when it comes to sustainability, publications are challenging green washing. Allure, for example, has banned printing eco buzzwords like ‘earth-friendly’ unless very carefully qualified.

– There’s newness fatigue: The fast-moving, disposable nature of beauty is one part of the sustainability problem. As journalists we’re increasingly aware of our responsibility to celebrate things that symbolise conscious consumption. Here, we’re excited by the prospect of innovation allowing consumers to do more with less (multi-use claims, reusability etc), made-to-order models, and a ‘circular economy’ for cosmetics.

– We all need to help join the dots: Transparency is key, so as brands’ spokespeople please make their sustainability standards accessible for us. With mailers, simple switches can make packages more eco-friendly. (Replacing plastic parcel tape with compostable Kraft tape or plant-based glue; using biodegradable loose fill chips; providing QR codes for press release and user instructions, etc.) A sample send-back scheme would also be welcomed, especially for journalists without access to company beauty cupboards.-