L’Oréal Group's beauty brand Garnier has launched its Green Beauty program in the Philippines – a comprehensive, end-to-end approach to sustainability aimed at reducing environmental impact at every stage of the value chain.
“The past few months has been a very exciting journey for us at L’Oréal as we accelerated our transformation to creating a more sustainable world for beauty, with a focus on environmental stewardship and social empowerment,” said Supriya Singh, Country Managing Director of L’Oréal Philippines.
“Green Beauty is our springboard to get our partners, and most especially our consumers, involved in this important cause. We believe that through collective action, we can meet our bold ambitions faster, and give our consumers the information to make more sustainable choices,” she added.
Garnier, in partnering with Sain Bags and Econest, became the first beauty brand to launch sustainable e-commerce packaging made of honeycomb and cassava starch, among other biodegradable materials.
As an alternative to bubble wraps, EcoNest Philippines came up with the Geami honeycomb protective packaging solution – a patented 3D die cut paper made from FSC-certified virgin kraft paper with an interleaf tissue that provides excellent surface protection to prevent possible damages and abrasion for wrapping and handling parcels.
The recycling rate of paper at 85.6 percent greatly outweighs the recycling rate of plastics at 42 percent. It only takes the honeycomb material, which is fully renewable, 2-6 weeks to biodegrade in nature.
SainBags, on the other hand, developed packaging made from cassava starch and other materials from renewable resources. It is biodegradable and compostable – leaving no toxic residues and causing no damage to oceans, waterways, land – and is harmless to animals and plants.
It can safely return to nature in the form of water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). And since the packaging does not contain a trace of plastic, it does not contribute to the micro-plastics problem and only takes around 90 days to compost in soil or a body of water, as opposed to hundreds of years for a regular plastic bag.
“Our constant search for innovation and reinvention of consumer experience fuels us at Garnier to lead the change in creating a sustainable world of beauty. By assessing how we work and the key areas of our value chain where we can find more sustainable alternatives, we can create a positive impact on the environment and give our consumers a better and more holistic beauty experience,” said Isabel Falco, Marketing Director of Garnier and L’Oréal Paris Philippines.
Singh said Garnier's efforts, which are part of the L’Oreal Group's 2030 sustainability commitments, not only lead to a positive impact but make good business sense as well.
“The common belief is that being sustainable means it would cost more. At the initial stage, perhaps, there is additional cost, but in the long run it is good for business. It is good for everyone,” she said.
Garnier, as a green beauty brand, ensures that its products contain more than 90 percent natural origin ingredients, certified organic product ranges, and vegan formulas.
In partnership with Shopee, each purchase made from the official Garnier store on the e-commerce platform will be specially packed using eco-friendly sources and materials to reduce overall packaging footprint.
“We are deeply honored and excited to partner with the L’Oreal Group on this transformative journey. This is our first partnership with a brand to help further their goals on sustainability. We hope that their global thrust will kickstart a new culture of sustainability in beauty retail and inspire real change across industries,” said Ruoshan Tao, Head of Marketing of Shopee Philippines.
“Shopee will provide our utmost support to make this Green Beauty campaign meaningful and successful. With the delivery of every Green Parcel, we also hope to inspire consumers in the Philippines to start thinking about how they can play a role in sustainability, and collectively raise awareness on this important issue,” she added.
Garnier has likewise partnered with Edukasyon PH, the largest EdTech platform for the Filipino youth, in developing modules focused on the education of sustainability, co-created for the Green Education Program.
“Green Education marks the beginning of efforts to empower people with important knowledge and practices on sustainability,” Singh said.
“We will take on greater responsibility, engage our entire ecosystem and demonstrate that companies can be part of the solution to the pressing challenges the world is facing. We are looking forward to seeing more partnerships come into fruition in the next few months and be able to contribute to creating a sustainable and beautiful world for everyone,” she said.