Nicolas Krafft, Former L'Oreal Executive, and Building Sustainability in Beauty Brands

(Photo : Nicolas Krafft, Former L'Oreal Executive, and Building Sustainability in Beauty Brands)

The beauty industry has much to offer, but one of its downsides is the potential harm it causes to the planet. The reason behind that harm is the environmental footprint the industry has, which is significant. But now, a focus on greater sustainability has come to light. Some of this is being heralded by B Corps, where B stands for "Benefit." These companies are interested in making the planet healthier and protecting the environment. Another reason the beauty industry is changing is due to customer outcry, and a demand for more sustainable practices, packaging, and future goals.

For example, the typical salon uses 1,200 gallons of water every month, per stylist. When considering how many salons and stylists there are in the world, it is easy to see how that could take a serious toll on the planet and its resources. Changes can and should be made, and B Corps, customers, and the beauty industry are all beginning to work together to help make some of those changes a reality sooner, rather than later. That could have a nearly immediate benefit for the planet, as millions of gallons of water are saved and millions of pounds of waste is recycled instead of heading straight for landfills.

Carbon Emissions are a Serious Problem

The reduction of carbon emissions is one of the most important issues for the beauty industry. A number of brands have begun stepping up, and rising to the challenge of being more environmentally friendly. As part of the Paris Agreement, many of these companies have signed a pledge to reduce their carbon footprint. These companies include Unilever, Estee Lauder, and L'Oreal. Smaller beauty brands like Davines are also taking the pledge, and going even further with it. They are committed to carbon neutrality, as early as 2030, and Davines has dropped its carbon emissions 50% already.

Aveda is also very serious about its commitment to protecting the planet, and has started using wind power for manufacturing all of its products. That lets the company reduce its usage of both electric and natural gas, and make a more balanced and sustainable effort to protect the earth's natural resources. It is not possible for companies to completely avoid carbon emissions, but they can reduce them to a neutral state through the use of carbon offsetting. Many companies are moving toward doing this, along with encouraging renewable energy options at all stages of the supply chain. This level of change will take time, but is moving forward.

The Use and Management of Water

One of the biggest concerns for the planet's resources is the amount of water that beauty salons use. Salon customers are noting the seriousness of this issue, and former L'Oreal executive Nicolas Krafft is one of many in the beauty industry who has spoken out about the problem. Nicolas Krafft indicates that there are many ways beauty companies are able to reduce how much water they're using. A couple of different types of faucets that are being used in salons in Australia and other countries reduce water usage significantly. Some can lower water usage by 65%, while others allow for more washes on the same amount of water.

Thousands of gallons of water are being saved every month due to these faucets, and to the commitment by companies in the beauty industry to reduce their overall water usage. Henkel, for example, has cut manufacturing usage of water by close to 30%, and L'Oreal has lowered their water consumption in distribution plants by 50%. In addition to these reductions, waterless beauty products are seeing wider use. This includes powder and solid shampoos, along with water-free conditioners and cleansing bars.

Packaging Can be a Problem

Beauty products create a tremendous amount of packaging waste. While some of it is recyclable, the vast majority of it is still ending up in landfills. Companies that are committed to reducing that problem are helping to ease the burden on the planet, but real change will take time. Sometimes, even recyclable items end up in landfills because people don't realize they can recycle them or because it's inconvenient for them to do so. That can be especially true in salons, where there is a significant amount of product packaging.

Companies are starting to make changes in this area, with a reduction in packaging, but also in chemicals and promotional materials that were frequently not recycled. The beauty product industry creates 877 pounds of waste every single minute, with only 30% of that waste being recycled. That means the other 70% is going straight into landfills, where it can create serious problems for the environment. Consumers are starting to put more pressure on companies to reduce this level of packaging waste.

Many beauty brands are now in a friendly competition to see who can reduce their packaging and keep it from landfills. That helps consumers and the planet, and also helps the companies because they're giving customers what they asked for. These companies are also looking at ways to make the necessary plastic packaging more sustainable. Nicolas Krafft states that many companies, including L'Oreal, are accomplishing this through their use of recyclable (and recycled) materials.

Kevin Murphy and Aveda are two others companies choosing this particular option. L'Oreal has committed to making all of its plastic packaging either recyclable, compostable, reusable, or refillable by 2025, which will cut down on the amount of plastic waste that makes its way into landfills and the oceans.

Salons Can do Their Part to Help

Nicolas Krafft and other industry executives are aware that the issue isn't just with packaging materials. The bigger picture involves salons, and the ease with which they are able to recycle packaging. If they don't have access to the brands, they can't support them. But if they don't have a realistic way to recycle the packaging, they also can't do that efficiently. A commitment to helping salons will make it easier for those salons to help the environment.

Support is needed for the workers in salons, but there's already a lot they can do. Just by showing their desire to work with brands that commit to sustainability, salons are showing that they care about the issue, as well. These same salons can start changing over to more environmentally friendly practices, such as saving water and recycling what they can. Getting to a point where most packaging is recyclable, and giving salons the means to do that more easily, will take some time, but will be well worth the effort.

Who is Nicolas Krafft?

Nicolas Krafft is a former executive for L'Oreal. He has more than 10 years of beauty industry experience, and has been a large part of helping the company launch new lines of products. Nicolas Krafft also helped L'Oreal develop an international presence for a lot of its brands, including Kérastase, Matrix, and Biolage. He served as the International General Manager for the Pulp Riot brand during his time with the company, cementing his reputation for goal-oriented development and branding. Before coming to L'Oreal, Nicolas Krafft was the VP of Global Business Development for Matrix. His experience level with large beauty industry brands provides valuable insight into current industry practices and the importance of increasing their sustainability.