The relationship between environmentalism and retail is growing ever stronger with today’s consumers, as the shopping community looks to do a good deed while purchasing, either through charitable efforts or earth-friendly choices. Brands and manufacturers who once regarded sustainability as a means for reducing costs have now realized that meeting consumers’ demands is also a smart—and necessary way—of doing business. 

A feature article in the April/May 2015 issue of Beauty Packaging highlights numerous environmentally responsible packages and practices in the beauty industry. But while researching that report, I came across a number of examples in other categories, and thought they’d be interesting to share.

From environmentally responsible packaging in the food and beverage markets to new ideas on the fashion front, “green” committments are flourishing.

Back to Beauty

Back to beauty manufacturers for a moment: In the short week since I completed the article on packaging, there have been several sustainability announcements made by three of the beauty industry’s largest players.

First, P&G announced that it joined the Flexible Film Recycling Group, an American Chemistry Council project that aims to drive recovery of flexible polyethylene (PE) film, wraps and bags.

Stephen Sikra, P&G research and development manager, says working with FFRG and the company’s value chain partners to expand film collection and recycling plays a key role in P&G’s goal to shrink its environmental footprint.

Then L’Oréal revealed the first milestone achievement resulting from its Sharing Beauty with All program for sustainable development.

Jean-Paul Agon, chairman and CEO of L’Oréal, said: "We are particularly proud to unveil these very encouraging results after making firm and quantified commitments toward sustainable development. These results show that we can deliver significant and tangible results if we put sustainable development at the center of Group strategy, as we have been doing with determination for several years. Companies have an important role to play in society, and L’Oréal intends to make a significant contribution."



One year after the program’s launch, L’Oréal revealed a reduction of CO2 emissions of the Group’s production by 50% in absolute terms, from a 2005 baseline; 67% of new products screened have an improved environmental or social profile; and 54,000 jobs were created for people from underprivileged communities in social or financial difficulty.

Unilever, a multi-category manufacturer like P&G, sent word of a new supplier policy as part of an action to halt deforestation. As a result, more of Unilever’s packaging—including wooden ice cream sticks—will be sourced sustainably by the end of 2015.

Unilever says its target is to ensure that all materials used that contain fiber obtained from wood are traceable from certified and known sources by 2020. In 2014, the volume of sustainably sourced paper and board used increased to 87%, up significantly from 62% the previous year. Unilever is therefore now bringing forward its commitment to source all paper and board packaging sustainably by the end of 2015.

The new Wood Fibre Sourcing Policy will contribute to Unilever’s work to eliminate deforestation from supply chains. It will also help to embed the Unilever Responsible Sourcing Policy, which supports Unilever’s commitment to increase its positive social impact throughout the entire supply chain by improving the lives of workers and their communities.

The global manufacturer says the move is expected to resonate with consumers. According to Unilever, research across 11 countries has found that three quarters of consumers would be more likely to purchase a product if they knew it was made from sustainably sourced ingredients, and according to Nielsen, millennials are four times as responsive to sustainability credentials as the over 50s. Globally, consumer spending on responsible consumption products is $400bn.

Pier Luigi Sigismondi, chief supply chain officer, Unilever, said: “To meet our ambitious zero deforestation policies and support the move to prosperous and sustainable land use in developing countries, we need to work with all organizations in the value chain, such as our suppliers, NGO’s, and governments.”
 
Food & Beverage

The Food & Beverage industry seems to be making the most claims lately regarding environmentally responsible packaging changes.

Recently I bought a plastic box of salad that contained a note to consumers, explaining that the seal and opening had been changed because the company had found a way to reduce the amount of plastic used.

While Keurig coffee-making machines are found in millions of kitchens, the manufacturer was literally forced by users to focus on developing plastic pods that can be separated from the lid and filter for recycling, cutting their environmental waste.

Disposable coffee cups, which have also received a lot of negative press for contributing to roadside litter and landfill, have seen a couple of innovative breakthroughs. Fast Food chain KFC announced an edible coffee cup. For now, it’s available only in the UK, but the heat-resistant cup is made of white chocolate wrapped in sugar paper.

In California, a San Luis Obispo startup says it has developed “The World’s First Plantable Coffee Cup.” (shown above). The prototype contains seeds from local nurseries and landscapes embedded within its post-consumer, paper-based material. So once you’re done with your morning joe, you can unravel the cup, soak it in water for a few minutes, and “plant” it. (To prevent the spread of invasive varieties, the bottom of the cup details specific regions for growth). For those who prefer tossing the cup to burying it, special bins will be available, and refuse will be taken to a reforestation location.

The cup reminds me of Cargo Cosmetics’ breakthrough years ago with its bioplastic, biodegradeable, plantable PlantLove lipstick. (I recently saw one for sale on eBay; I guess it proved it could be done but was impractical—or too costly—in the long run.)

Tetra Pak reported that it had made further progress towards its 2020 environmental goals during 2014, passing several important milestones in its journey to develop sustainable products, reduce the environmental footprint of the value chain and increase recycling.

The company launched what it calls “the world’s first fully renewable carton package,” the Tetra Rex Bio-based. Made solely from paperboard and plant-based plastics, including the TwistCapTM OSO 34 bio-based opening, the package is currently being trialled by Finnish dairy producer Valio in retail outlets across the country.

Tetra Pak secured Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody certification for the last seven of its 92 facilities and legal entities worldwide. This means that the company can deliver FSC labelled packages from anywhere in the world, marking an important step towards its goal of using only FSC certified paperboard in all of its products.

During 2014, the company delivered almost 44 billion FSC labelled packages to customers worldwide, 38% higher than in 2013. Furthermore, Tetra Pak has produced more than 130 billion packages bearing the FSC logo since unveiling its first one in 2007.

Mario Abreu, vice president, Environment for Tetra Pak, said: “We set ourselves some aggressive environmental targets and, by and large, we remain nicely on track to achieve them. We well recognize the absolute imperative of keeping a sharp focus on this ever-more important dimension of our business; securing growth while acting and operating in ways that best protect the future of our planet, and delivering the products, services and support that help our customers to do the same.”

Fashionable Changes

Francois-Henri Pinault, CEO of Kering, recently spoke on sustainable fashion at Parsons The New School for Design, and gave a number of forward thinking examples on progress on the fashion front including methods for producing and recycling textiles, less damaging tanning methods and even a possibility for using cells from living animals to produce real leather—and save animals’ lives. Read the full article from WWD.

H&M, which is partnering with Kering on some of these projects, is also highlighting a sustainable approach to fashion, in cooperation with Marie Claire magazine. Called H&M Conscious, features include: making sure 40% of your wardrobe is from sustainable materials such as organic cotton or recyclable polyester; being conscious of how much water you use; bringing any unwanted clothes to an H&M store for recycling (and receive 20% off new purchases); and swapping items with friends to save on new materials and manufacturing costs.

Eileen Fisher has committed to what it calls VISION2020, defined as “the first five years of our plan to get to 100% sustainability.

To create a truly responsible supply chain, the fashion brand says it needs “to scrutinize everything we do, from the field to the factory to the landfill. And take a hard look at what's often swept under the rug—toxins, carbon emissions and low worker pay, to name a few. It won't be easy. We’ll need the help of our customers, our manufacturing partners and like-minded brands. How will we do it? The answer lies in two small words: no excuses.”

According to the brand, by 2050, “the global economy is projected to consume three planets’ worth of resources annually. To change that trajectory, we’re committing to less. Leaving less fabric waste on the cutting room floor. Using less water—25% less in the case of our bluesign certified dyehouse in China. And emitting less carbon. We’re investing in alternative energy and cutting our reliance on air shipping. By 2020 our U.S. operations won’t just be carbon neutral. They’ll be carbon positive.”

Photos above: (L) The 'world’s first fully renewable carton package' by Tetra Pak; (R) The 'world's first plantable coffee cup' by Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.