As we power on through Earth Month and reflect on our actions, as a group or as individuals, we should take the time to consider how many smaller actions add up to a larger impact. Although we cannot change the state of the environment in our personal actions alone, we can contribute to something much greater than an action; a movement.
Rather than maintaining the status quo, we can support changemakers and pioneers in the beauty industry. The ones who proactively explore new ways to create high-quality products with no harm done to people or the planet. Supporting these kinds of brands can show our collective interest in these kinds of actions and incentivize other companies to make similar changes to the way they operate, from sourcing ingredients and packaging, to compensating labor.
We see many great examples of these kinds of businesses taking part in the Blue Beauty movement as we speak, so we encourage you to learn more about these beauty brands and how they are making real actions toward sustainability and ethics in the beauty industry.
One of the many ways that these companies carry out their mission is by creating packaging that effectively carries their design and branding through, while minimizing the amount of waste generated as a result. This is why we are seeing so many brands successfully creating zero waste skincare and beauty products that look and feel luxurious.
This is such an exciting subject that we want to dedicate our time here to discussing what zero waste skincare brands are doing and what that means for you as the end user.
Zero Waste, Low Waste, Less Waste
Let’s start with what the term “zero waste” means, along with some similar terms you may have heard of as well. Zero waste in beauty products refers to products that are created while keeping waste at a net zero. So they seek to minimize any amount of waste to create their products, and offset their impact. You will see these companies create zero waste skincare in containers made from recycled materials or materials that are easier to recycle like glass or metal.
These brands will often place more effort and care in creating their product packaging to make them attractive, durable, and long-lasting, so that you will be encouraged to reuse them once the contents are done. It is a great way to reduce single use plastic waste from skincare products.
This is similar to low waste packaging, which is intended to reduce environmental impact by reducing waste. However, they do not achieve complete net zero impact, despite utilizing similar means such as recycled materials. Less waste, as you might assume, means efforts were made to reduce the amount of waste ultimately generated by the product, but not as much as with low waste products.
Reuse & Refill
One way that you can consistently incorporate zero waste skincare products into your life is through reusable and refillable options. This is a popular initiative by zero waste skin care brands because it allows the packaging they designed to live on for much longer and continue to be enjoyed.
Luxury clean beauty brands especially, like the ones you see at Beauty Heroes, spend a long time designing their packaging to be attractive to the eye while also being responsibly manufactured. Allowing these bottles and glass jars to live on for much longer makes it feel like the effort that went into that packaging was fully appreciated.
Some skincare brands offer refills on certain products so that once you are done with this staple in your beauty routine, you can just refill the container and carry on as usual. You know you will need to replace your favorite body wash and hair care products at some point, so it helps to have a refill product that allows you to keep it going.
Bathing Culture is a great example of this with their fan favorite body wash available in regular and travel sized bottles, along with an extra large refill size that gives you a great value for the amount you receive.
Considering how much we use certain products everyday in our personal care routines, we have the potential to greatly cut down on the amount of product waste we generate as consumers. Instead of throwing out plastic tubes of deodorant multiple times a year, you could try the Zero Waste Deodorant Bar by Cleo+Coco.
Or apply this mindset to other products outside of your skincare routine like the zero waste shampoo and conditioner bars by Meow Meow Tweet, a brand that is fully committed to zero waste products across the board.
With Earth Month motivating so many people to reflect on their lifestyles and which businesses they support, we encourage you to look at brands that create zero waste skincare products as companies you can support. Take a look at our collection of Zero Waste products and see which ones could become your new staple products for everyday use.
