Carbon, nature and packaging at heart of European cosmetics commitment

The industry association, Cosmetics Europe, has been working for two years with its members to develop Commit for our Planet, a programme that will be freely accessible to all companies involved in making personal care and cosmetic products and ingredients. The emphasis of the initiative is ‘stepping up together’ to make a real difference. 

Consumers should get to hear about the initiative as companies that have made the commitment are being encouraged to promote their participation to their customers. 

At launch there are some big names yet to sign up, including Chanel, Estee Lauder, GSK, J&J and P&G. Cosmetics Europe says: “This initiative is an ongoing process, hence we did not envisage that all companies would join in one go.” However, there are already a number of companies that are not members of the association, and some small and medium sized companies that have made the commitment. 

Measuring and making meaningful progress

Companies signing up to the scheme will have to measure and report meaningful progress, working to keep greenhouse gas emissions below the 1.5C temperature rise limit set in the Paris Agreement. The initiative also references science-based targets for nature impacts, including land, water and biodiversity, related to ingredients sourcing, operations and use.

The association has developed several tools to support the effort, including a greenhouse gas emissions calculator, and guidance and data for nature-related issues and packaging. The programme references the importance of existing initiatives and EU targets for packaging. 

Cosmetics Europe will report on the overall action each year; it will also evolve the sustainability commitments to reflect changing demands from society, planetary needs, and alignment with EU standards.

What will be reported?

Transparency is an important element of the project, says Cosmetics Europe. The association will develop a reporting structure to ensure it can publish information on progress annually. To start with, it expects reporting will be quantitative, with, for example, a focus on the number of companies joining and the number of commitments actively being worked on. In the mid-to-long term, it would like to develop more qualitative reporting, so that it can measure and demonstrate collective impact. However, it is still trying to work out the structure for this reporting system. 

Ocki’s Get the knowledge: How to make better beauty product choices article highlights a number of sustainability issues facing the sector including:

• Human rights linked to the mining of mica.
• Biodiversity linked to deforestation for palm oil plantations.
• The use of ingredients, both synthetic and natural, that are safe for people and the environment.
• Minimal packaging, packaging that is recycled and recyclable.
• Verified information on carbon, water and resource footprints. 

Reducing overall consumption is also tricky for cosmetic and personal care companies, as business models are usually based on selling more product or encouraging more use. Other than recycling packaging, products consumed are generally washed down the drain.  Some companies offer refills and concentrates, others are promoting more conscious consumption and reduced use. But with hygiene products, this is a challenge, as a certain amount is needed for the product to be effective.