Planet Week
This week was Planet week, discussions arose around problems facing our planet. Such as pollution, climate change, and carbon emissions. Solutions were given like a circular economy and adhering to the UN’s SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) plan. The UN SDG plan is composed of 17 goals for global sustainability in hopes to accomplish them by 2030 (UNDP, 2023). Applying these goals in action in all aspects of society is essential to slowing down climate change. For example, in the cosmetic industry responsible consumption and production is one goal that can be applied.This looks like making containers that can be recycled and using refillable containers. The Body Shop is a good example of this, with in store recycling bins and refillable stations (www.thebodyshop.com, 2023) It means having rags that can be used as makeup wipes instead of the disposable ones. An excellent example of this is the Original Makeup Eraser, which uses only water and can be rewashed (MakeUp Eraser, 2023) Sourcing your ingredients used in the cosmetics ethically and without damaging the ecosystem is another way to accomplish responsible production.Lush does a good job of this, their ingredients are sourced through local farmers and fair trade. (We are Lush, 2023) Cosmetic production can also be a way to reduce carbon emissions, for example GUCCI’s perfume, The Alchemist Garden Where My Heart Beats, uses alcohol that has been made from carbon capture (Gucci.com, 2023). Applying all these values of sustainability to cosmetics means understanding how to make the cosmetics industry as sustainable as possible, while simultaneously understanding that there is a privilege and expense to being sustainable.Affordability of many sustainable products is low, not to mention costs to manufacture and produce sustainable products. Oil and gas products like plastics are cheaper compared to glass and metal.Paying employees livable wages is more expensive than underpaying them or relying on child labor. However, another solution to the problems with our planet is a circular economy, where instead of focusing on solely the consumer and company, the focus is on the entirety of the economy. A circular economy is defined as an economy where main focuses are to regenerate ecosystems/nature, eliminating waste/pollution, and the circulation of products and resources (Ellen Macarthur Foundation, 2023).It’s a style of economy that is almost opposite of the one many countries have now, where the focus is on taking resources and making a product then using and wasting it.(Jørgensen and Pedersen, 2018) .
Bibliography:
Ellen Macarthur Foundation (2023). What is a circular economy? [online] Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Available at: https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview [Accessed 7 Oct. 2023].
Gucci.com. (2023). The Alchemist’s Garden, Where My Heart Beats, 100ml. [online] Available at: https://www.gucci.com/uk/en_gb/pr/beauty/fragrances/fragrances-for-women/the-alchemists-garden-where-my-heart-beats-100ml-p-729946999990099[Accessed 7 Oct. 2023].
Jørgensen, S. and Pedersen, L.J.T. (2018). The Circular Rather than the Linear Economy. RESTART Sustainable Business Model Innovation, [online] (978-3-319-91970-6), pp.103–120. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91971-3_8. [ Accessed 7 Oct 2023]
MakeUp Eraser. (2023). Our Mission. [online] Available at: https://makeuperaser.co.uk/pages/our-mission[Accessed 7 Oct. 2023].
We are Lush. (2023). Ethical Buying. [online] Available at: https://weare.lush.com/lush-life/our-values/ethical-buying/#:~:text=For%20many%20years%20we%20have[Accessed 7 Oct. 2023].
www.thebodyshop.com. (2023). Changemaking For The Planet | Environmental Impact | The Body Shop. [online] Available at: https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-gb/about-us/changemaking-beauty/for-planet/a/a00090[Accessed 7 Oct. 2023].
UNDP. (2023). Sustainable Development Goals | United Nations Development Programme. [online] Available at: https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals?gclid=CjwKCAjw4P6oBhBsEiwAKYVkq4PNFdRXG3cK0HaTkcF2jOL08A3-sQGercKmgUpeDKOs7NuqJLfa4BoCee4QAvD_BwE [Accessed 7 Oct. 2023].