Raising the Beauty bar
A pioneering story Weleda is a pioneering natural beauty company, established in Switzerland in 1921 by the Austrian philosopher and scientist, Rudolf Steiner. Founded on principles of anthroposophy, a system of alternative medicine based on the belief that people are part of nature, Weleda has long been a passionate champion of innovative sustainability initiatives, including biodynamic production and Fairtrade. Weleda is certified with the Look for Zero logo, meaning they do not use any plastic ingredients like microbeads in their products. They strive to improve their environmental impact, and were early to transition to working with recycled glass and PCR plastic. Through the package recycling initiative Forum Rezyklat, Weleda is investigating how plastics from household waste can be recycled into food and skincare packaging. Plus, they have set up a process for Weleda packaging to be collated and delivered to TerraCycle for recycling.
N atural beauty brands are not just setting the standard for purer skincare – they are also leading the way in eco- responsible packaging. Inika, established in 2006, is proud of creating 100 percent natural products that are effective, organic, vegan, cruelty- free and completely free from synthetics. However, the Inika team was not content to leave it at that, and they went on a mission to change the impact their packaging had on the environment. Inika is now the first certified plastic neutral
annum – that’s a lot of plastic potentially heading for landfill. Inika reviewed their entire business, to minimise their reliance on plastic and how they packaged their products. They also gained Plastic Neutral certification from Waste Revolution, an organisation which shows businesses how to measure, reduce and offset plastic use. This certification means that for every kilogram of plastic used, another kilo is salvaged and recycled. Inika have reduced their virgin plastic use by 84 percent, from 8.1 to 1.3 tonnes. Ninety percent of their packaging is made from sustainable and reusable materials, including aluminium, sugar cane, post- consumer recycled PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastic and glass. They work with charities to collect and repurpose plastic, which amounted to 4.7 tonnes in 2022 alone. This plastic is then made into durable fence posts donated to rural communities devastated by flood, fire and drought.
make-up brand in the world. What is plastic neutral?
The amount of plastic used in producing beauty products is extraordinary, estimated at 120 billion units of packaging per
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ISSUE 64 • 2022
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