Planet in Relation to the Cosmetic Industry
In recorded history, global environmental awareness has been present since the beginning of profit-motivated settlements. This ideology resembles present day efforts of sustainable development (Grove, 2003). Considering the fashion industry, the UN Environment Program reports that the industry is responsible for 2% to 8% of total greenhouse gas emissions. This industry also has a significant impact on water pollution and reduction of biodiversity (UNEP, 2023). Following the revelation, experts have been working on incorporating sustainable practices in the industry for around 40 years. These haven’t been effective so far mainly because achieving long-term sustainability requires consistent improvements in the entire fashion supply chain (Fletcher & Grose, 2021).
The introduction of the concept of circularity in the fashion industry is one such attempt to reduce its impact on the planet. Circular economy entails keeping the materials, products, and resources in use for as long as possible (USEPA, 2023). This aims at prolonging the value of the products. In fashion, the circular economic model has become more prominent than the linear model as it overcomes challenges like material scarcity, climate change, and excessive waste production (Dissanayake & Weerasinghe, 2021).
The cosmetic industry is closely related to the fashion industry and equally contributes to the environmental and health risks. These range from the biological impact of parabens to the ecological problems caused by microplastics. (Bilal et al, 2020). Business models that adopt circularity in the cosmetic industry are mostly driven by focusing on sustainability issues. In practice they attempt to modify and re-evaluate the formulation design process for cosmetics (Fortunati et al, 2020). For example, a handmade bath product company Lush adopted the concept of eco-design for their products by incorporating changes like self-preserving ingredients that improve the longevity of the product. They also use natural plant-based raw materials for the preservation of biodiversity (Fortunati et al, 2020). Furthermore, research in the area suggests methods of reducing the negative environmental impact of cosmetic waste viz., plant based natural resources like seaweed biomolecules prove to be an effective substitute for synthetic cosmeceuticals (Kalasariya et al, 2021). Other studies show that algae’s biological properties are being incorporated into formulations to form more sustainable skincare products. These outperform synthetically made cosmetics (Aslam et al, 2021).
These advancements not only fulfill UN’s Sustainable Development Goals relating to health and well-being but also ones that consider the impact on the environment, water quality, and marine life. Adding to this, an analysis of consumer behavior in the industry suggests that consumers also prefer environmentally conscious cosmetic products (Lin et al, 2018). Such a shift towards responsible consumption and production patterns facilitates the achievement of the goals set for 2030 by the UN. Considering the listed improvements, the fashion and cosmetic industries are taking necessary steps to safeguard the planet for the betterment of the future.
Reference List
1. Aslam, A. et al. (2021) ‘Algae as an attractive source for cosmetics to counter environmental stress’ Science of The Total Environment 772. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144905 (Accessed: 6 October 2023)
2. Bilal, M., Mehmood, S. and Iqbal, H.M.N. (2020) ‘The Beast of Beauty: Environmental and Health Concerns of Toxic Components in Cosmetics’, Cosmetics, 7(1), p. 13. doi:10.3390/cosmetics7010013. (Accessed: 5 October 2023)
3. Dissanayake, K, & Weerasinghe, D. (2021) ‘Towards Circular Economy in Fashion: Review of Strategies, Barriers and Enablers’ Circular Economy and Sustainability, doi: 10.1007/s43615-021-00090-5 (Accessed: 5 October 2023)
4. Fletcher, K, & Grose, L 2012, Fashion and Sustainability: Design for Change, Laurence King Publishing, London. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central.
5. Fortunati, S., Martiniello, L. & Morea, D. (2020) ‘The Strategic Role of the Corporate Social Responsibility and Circular Economy in the Cosmetic Industry’, Sustainability, 12(12), p. 5120. doi:10.3390/su12125120. (Accessed: 6 October 2023)
6. Kalasariya, H.S. et al. (2021) ‘Seaweed-Based Molecules and Their Potential Biological Activities: An Eco-Sustainable Cosmetics’, Molecules, 26(17), p. 5313. doi:10.3390/molecules26175313. (Accessed: 5 October 2023)
7. Lin, Y. et al. (2018) ‘An Exploratory Study of Consumer Attitudes Toward Green Cosmetics in the UK Market’, Administrative Sciences, 8(4), p. 71. doi:10.3390/admsci8040071. (Accessed: 5 October 2023)
8. Richard, G. (2003) ‘Globalisation and the History of Environmentalism, 1650-2000’, RHA 1(1), p. 15-21.
9. United Nations Environment Programme (2023) The Sustainable Fashion Communication Playbook – Executive Summary. Available at: https://wedocs.unep.org/20.500.11822/43287 (Accessed: 5 October 2023)
10. United States Environmental Protection Agency (2023) What is a Circular Economy? Available at: https://www.epa.gov/circulareconomy/what-circular-economy (Accessed: 5 October 2023)
Image Reference List
1. Featured Image: Nailberry’s vegan L’Oxygéné Nail Lacquer in Maliblue (2019) Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/sep/14/sali-hughes-40-best-sustainable-beauty-brands
2. Figure 1: Vogue Business (2020) Available at: https://www.voguebusiness.com/sustainability/fashions-circular-economy-could-be-worth-5-trillion
3. Figure 2: Figure 2: Science of The Total Environment (2021) Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144905