Today is International Earth Day, a precious opportunity to celebrate the environment and the preservation of our planet. At SkinLabo, we strongly believe that skin care can never ignore the impact our products and their handling can have on the environment. That is why we are keen to reiterate our commitment to environmental sustainability.
Let's start with a fact: the "plastic crisis" is a global challenge that affects us all, and as a cosmetics brand we are aware that we must do our part.
According to National Geographic, only 9% of plastic waste is recycled globally. UNESCO estimates that 80 percent of all marine debris is plastic, while 85 percent of plastic packaging ends up in landfills (UNEP).
The "plastic epidemic" has a devastating impact not only on the environment, but also on people's health and well-being. UNEP estimates that 3 billion people still do not have access to comprehensive waste management systems, while 91 percent of consumers globally consider plastic pollution to be the top environmental concern (UNEP).
The cosmetics industry produces 700 million tons of plastic waste each year. This alarming figure highlights the need for concrete efforts by companies in the industry to reduce their environmental impact.
SkinLabo against the "plastic epidemic": concrete actions for a sustainable future
SkinLabo is committed to fighting the "plastic epidemic" in several ways:
- Eco-friendly design: we work on the design of our packs to make them 100% recyclable;
- Recycled plastic: we gradually increase the amount of recycled plastic in our packs. This is one of our main goals for the three-year period 2024-2026;
- Offsetting the "plastic footprint": we fund projects to recover from nature an amount of plastic equivalent to what SkinLabo puts on the market.
In 2022, SkinLabo offset its "plastic footprint" by funding a project in the foothills of the Himalayas (Pavitra Parvat). In partnership with rePurpose Global, a leader in managing such projects, we financed the collection of an amount of plastic equivalent to that of our packs, while also enabling positive social impact for 22 waste workers involved.
In 2023, we continued this work, directing our efforts to support another project in India, in Kerala, at the Harakal location. This region, known for its rich marine ecosystems, suffers from a severe lack of waste management systems, with 289.6 million pounds of plastic waste generated annually in the state of Kerala and 70-80% of plastic waste consisting of low-value materials that are difficult to recycle.
Project HaraKal aims to bring holistic plastic waste management to all 940-plus villages in Kerala over the next 10 years. The project has already been registered on the Verra Registry.
18.2 tons: a commitment to saving our planet
18.2 tons is a number that represents a challenge met and a concrete commitment to environmental protection. This is the amount of plastic that, thanks to the projects we have supported, has been diverted from the environment, preventing it from ending up polluting our oceans and the nature around us.
This is an important milestone that fills us with pride and pushes us to do more and more in the fight against the "plastic epidemic," a global challenge that requires everyone's commitment.
On this special day, we are proud to participate in a project that makes us a brand responsible for its environmental impacts.
