In order to develop an industry-wide environmental assessment and scoring system for cosmetic goods, 36 important participants in the global cosmetics industry, including brands, manufacturers, and professional organisations, have joined forces as part of the EcoBeautyScore consortium. It is open to other businesses and organizations to join.
The project, which was started in September by Henkel, L’Oréal, LVMH, Natura &Co, and Unilever, is now taking the shape of a new coalition to create a system for scoring and assessing the environmental effect of cosmetics goods throughout the whole industry.
The EcoBeautyScore Consortium currently includes 36 organizations from different sizes and across four continents. It is still open for new applicants to join.
Evaluating how cosmetics affect the environment
The EcoBeautyScore Consortium’s founding members claim that it exists to assist consumers in selecting environmentally friendly cosmetic and personal care goods. To give consumers “clear, transparent, and comparative” information about a product’s environmental impact, they have started developing an industry-wide rating system based on a standard scientific methodology.
The formula, packaging, and application of each product will be taken into account by the new evaluation and scoring system.
Standardized techniques and data sources
The collaboration is collaborating with sustainability consultant Quantis, who founded the Sustainable Packaging Initiative for CosmEtics (SPICE) together with L’Oréal four years ago, to ensure a sound and scientific approach to co-build an assessment methodology and score system.
The tenets of the “Product Environmental Footprint” (the European Union’s PEF scientific technique based on life cycle assessment of products) will support the measurement of environmental impacts throughout the lifecycle of products. Additionally, common databases on the effects of formula ingredients and packaging materials on the environment will be put in place.
By year’s end, the first prototype will be ready.
The 36 members of the EcoBeautyScore Consortium have already begun collaborating in groups based on common interests. By the end of 2022, a prototype for footprinting and scoring will be ready, offering initial environmental scores for a number of product categories. After that, it will be examined by impartial parties.
To ensure that the process is as inclusive as possible, the Consortium said it will also contact other experts from many fields, such as scientists, academics, and NGOs.
unbiased global initiative
Regardless of their size or finances, all cosmetics companies are welcome to participate in this worldwide movement.
In order to create environmental impact assessment methodology (as done by Henkel, LVMH, Natura &Co, and Unilever) and an environmental and social labeling system (as done by L’Oréal), the congregating five firms will pool their expertise.
The five organizations issued a statement in which they stated that “all enterprises would profit from this existing effort and are asked to contribute their own knowledge.”
All consortium participants and other interested parties will voluntarily publish and make the material produced by the consortium available. Cosmetics Europe has closely monitored the procedure.
Companies or NGOs have been attempting to introduce environmental scoring systems for cosmetic items for a number of years, but comparisons are challenging because these projects are based on different methodology. Thus, the titans of the industry could soon force their presence.
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