19-Jan-2021
Beauty needs biodiversity – its richness and variety have helped grow the category for hundreds of years, but overexploitation and agriculture have pushed ecosystems to breaking point. Eco-certifications guarantee the protection of the natural world and push cosmetics companies to reach new standards of sustainability. Here, Cosmetics Business uncovers the latest checks helping beauty maintain a harmonious balance with nature
The cosmetics sector relies heavily on biodiversity and animal and plant by-products to develop finished products – but the category’s intense demand for naturalness has pushed ecosystems to breaking point.
The negative impacts of exploitation of the natural world contribute to the destruction of habitats and the pollution of farmlands and rivers with fertilizers and pesticides, while farming methods have resulted in land erosion.
The depletion of these natural resources and overexploitation above capacity has meant that what were once centers of biodiversity are beyond recovery.
The Covid-19 pandemic has been a wake-up call about the devastating impact of man’s imbalance with nature. If the message was not clear enough that a balance is essential between nature and man, it now resonates in all ears.
And so, like the drops of money that beauty brands have to protect the land they need to develop new products, eco-certifications have become a method to proudly carry their sustainability commitments.
Most beauty bags are adorned with eco-certified symbols, stickers and samples that indicate a brand’s commitment to protecting the natural world; from farmlands and forests to crops and coral reefs.
Statistics from Ecolabel’s Global Directory Index show that there are over 450 eco-certifications available to brands across all categories in the market, including 65 dedicated to cosmetics and personal care, neutral supply chains in carbon with the fair trade emblem.
A harmonious ecosystem
Beauty brands are increasingly adopting a special certification that ensures a harmonious balance between man and the animal kingdom.
Wildlife Friendly certification ensures that the world’s most economically disadvantaged communities can co-exist with endangered wildlife in biodiversity hotspots.
“We work in two ways with brands. We can connect businesses with ingredients that are already certified wildlife-friendly, such as shea butter, essential oils, hydrosols and many more, or through our Business Network Membership Program, we can provide advice to brands on certifying their existing supply chains, integrating wildlife-friendly practices into their sourcing principles and approach. Julie Stein, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Verification explains to cosmetics company.
After working with haircare giant Aveda, which sourced craft paper for its holiday campaign gift wrap from a company in Nepal, the brand certifies four independent beauty brands to date, including her first UK-based company, Scottish skincare brand Seilich, founded by Sally Gouldstone, which highlights the importance of grasslands and wildflowers as hosts to biodiversity.
To be considered, brands must put in place a biodiversity monitoring program, as well as commitments prohibiting hunting and the exploitation of wildlife. Commodity producers are also required to submit a pre-assessment form, a product submission form, and provide a reference from a custodial entity, conversation organization, government agency, or academic.
“Covid-19 is actually the result of an imbalance in our relationship with the natural world. The two stories of coexistence between humans and wildlife are very inspiring and inspire buyers to ‘vote with their wallets’ to protect endangered species,” added Stein.
“Consumers increasingly want to support brands and products that follow the most responsible production practices on the ground, as opposed to those that may not be produced as sustainably but donate a percentage of their income.
“Certifications like ours are a way for brands to communicate that they are doing the right thing for the environment. Ambitious consumers want to support brands that “get” this and step up.
And the group is in the process of certifying more suppliers in the beauty sector. The latest group to be Wildlife Friendly certified is aluan, a certified organic coconut oil producer that supplies products for the personal care and food industries, which Stein reveals exclusively to cosmetics company.
Sustainable Sourcing
While Wildlife Friendly’s standard makes it easier for animals to stay safe in their natural habitat, Rainforest Alliance’s new certification ensures that corporate conglomerates are making progress that benefits society.
Following its merger with sustainability company UTZ in 2018, Rainforest Alliance established its 2020 certification program, aimed at commodity producers to protect the landscape they work on and advance the human rights of their communities.
“Certification has had a huge impact in putting sustainability at the forefront of business thinking, but it must continue to evolve to deliver more value to farmers and businesses, and ensure that people and nature can thrive in harmony. “, Joseph Cameron Booth, UK Lead – Core Markets, Market Engagement at Rainforest Alliance says cosmetics company.
“The 2020 Certification Program is a unique opportunity to truly change the way certification works and how it brings value to the many people and businesses around the world who use it.”
Farmers are expected to protect natural resources by using land, water and energy carefully. Certified farmers are also required to use fewer artificial fertilizers and pesticides, prevent pollution and manage waste.
However, certification comes at a price. Prospective businesses can expect to pay a premium price for farmers’ produce that is above market value, independent of any other premiums and differentials; a Chain of Custody Risk Assessment (CRA) fee of USD 100 per site and a Chain of Custody Audit fee are also applicable whether a company’s ARC is low, medium or high; and it’s all in addition to volume-based royalties.
But Rainforest Alliance says certification is an investment that will improve a group’s reputation and profitability and increase production.
“The new standard, comprising an assurance system and related data and technology systems, is designed to provide more value to the many people and businesses around the world who use Rainforest Alliance certification as an essential tool to support a production agriculture and sustainable supply chains.
Provide a framework
Eco-friendly certifications, although their introduction to the industry is still in their infancy, provide a framework for beauty brands and encourage better relationships with suppliers, eliminate negative impacts and provide better opportunities for consumers to buy from a company that contributes to the improvement of social environments.
“Through the use of eco-labels on products, certification also incentivizes brands to make these kinds of improvements throughout their supply chains by differentiating themselves in a crowded market and tapping into new market segments. market,” adds Stein.
We ask the expert
Sally Gouldstone, Founder, Seilich
What do eco-certifications show to consumers?
“As we all know, the beauty industry is plagued by greenwashing, with products frequently marketed on the basis of unsubstantiated sustainability credentials. However, erroneous claims are often made out of lack of understanding rather than malicious marketing scams, beauty business owners are usually not environmentalists after all.
Eco-certifications take the responsibility of beauty companies away from claims and allow experts in the fields of environmental science, climate change, conservation and/or sustainability to determine if a product is good for the planet. or not.
Complex environmental impact assessments are distilled into the presence or absence of a simple logo, allowing consumers to quickly and confidently determine whether a product meets their own version of “eco-friendly”, whether whether organic, low-carbon or wildlife-friendly.
Unfortunately, the wide range of certifications means that there can be a lot of confusion about what each certification means, especially when it comes to separating environmental benefits from personal benefits. For example, legitimate eco-friendly/planet-centric certifications such as carbon neutral, palm-free, wildlife-friendly, and organic can easily be confused with those aimed at non-product consumer groups, e.g. vegan or natural. .
Eco-certifications therefore offer the environmentally conscious consumer the opportunity to make informed decisions when it comes to exercising their consumer power.”
