L’Oréal Paris Elvive has announced that will deliver bottles made from 100 % recycled plastic , saving 5000 tonnes of virgin plastic every year
The global cosmetics giant has launched a new consumer-facing campaign, based on improving the recyclability and collection of its packaging. The commitment follows research commissioned by the hair care brand, which discovered that 32.8 million Brits still struggle with the idea of recycling bathroom products. Moreover, most of them prioritize effectiveness over sustainability.
According to a press release from the brand, L' Oréal is actively working to find ways to use 100 % recycled plastic for every bit of the product — caps, lids, pumps, tubes— and to extend the sustainability initiative across make-up and skin care as well.
“We are evolving Elvive inside and out,” said Laure Lemarquis, CSR and Sustainability Director of L’Oréal Consumer Products Division. “In addition to the sustainability of our bottles, we have also explored how our product on the inside could make a difference: our formulas will be using only the most effective, biodegradable and, as always, ethically tested ingredients.”
Let’s get through the “Elvive Life Cycle” :
- Elvive bottles are made from empty water bottles which are crushed and melted into pellets
- They’re made at L’ Oréal carbon neutral factory, which uses 100% renewable energy for zero c02 emissions
- The pellets are colored and blown into the trademark Elvive bottle shape
- The 100% recycled bottles head from their shelves to customers’ showers
- Before recycling, the consumer has to rinse and separate the bottle from the cap. Labels can be recycled too.
As from 2007, L’Oréal has engaged in a policy of packaging optimization based on three pillars:
1) Respect the health and safety of the consumer, and biodiversity. For example, 100% of the PVC has been eradicated from the product packaging
2) Reduce the weight and size of packaging, or remove them, and promote rechargeable or refillable systems, and multi-doses to replace single-doses
3) Replace some materials with less impactful materials by promoting circular economy, using post-consumption recycled (PCR) materials and encouraging consumers to recycle.
As the market leader in beauty, the company has declared its responsibility to lead the way in driving consumers to make sustainable choices. The ambitions of “L’Oréal for the Future” program are to empower those across the value chain - both consumers and suppliers - to reduce their own environmental footprints too.
This program is a responsive, social and environmental “solidarity program” aiming to contribute to the regeneration of damaged ecosystems and preventing climate change, while also supporting vulnerable women during the social and economic crisis generated by the coronavirus pandemic.
L’ Orèal has also unveiled a sweeping set of sustainability targets, pledging to reach carbon neutrality by 2025, halve carbon emissions, use 100% renewables and ensure all plastic packaging comes from recycled or bio-based sources.
As part of the strategy, the brand confirmed that it will source 100% of the plastics used in its packaging from recycling or bio-based sources by 2030 and will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% per finished product, against a 2016 baseline.
As part of the program, €50m will be used to promote the circular economy, with L’Oréal aiming to develop solutions and new business models that boost recycling and management of plastic waste.
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