Sustainability

How the beauty industry is tackling the ocean plastic problem, plus the brands making a change

The switches we can make.
Image may contain Mouth and Lip
Getty Images

There’s no denying it, we have a serious problem with ocean plastic. And the beauty industry – glamorous and feel-good though it may be – is a major contributor. Statistics report that 120 billion units of packaging are produced every year by the global cosmetics industry, bulked out by the use of complex lids, multi-layered boxes and cellophane, much of which is superfluous, non-recyclable and ends up in our landfills and in our oceans.

Prior to the pandemic, it was reported that 11 million tonnes of plastic was making its way into our ocean each year. A trend, which if continued, would mean we’d have more plastic in our oceans than fish by 2050, according to the United Nations. But Covid 19 caused an additional 25,000 tonnes of plastic from PPE and online shopping to enter our seas.

Data found that, despite the increased public consciousness and initiatives around plastic, we're still not doing anywhere near enough to curb the problem. Without immediate and sustained action, the amount of plastic entering our oceans is predicted to nearly triple by 2040, to 29 million metric tons per year.

As it stands, there’s so much plastic in the sea already, we can see it from space and a study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration discovered that some parts of the ocean have seven times more plastic particles than fish.

9 simple sustainable beauty swaps to make your beauty routine more earth-friendly
Gallery19 Photos
View Gallery

Over 633 marine species are now known to be impacted by the plastic problem, say the Environmental Investigation Agency. Sea animals like dolphins, whales and seals are ingesting astonishing amounts of toxic microplastics which increase their chances of disease and mortality and affect reproduction, while larger plastics are responsible for choking our sea life.

Research from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies has shown that it's affecting corals tangled in plastic, too, which are up to 90% more likely to get a disease causing them to die. And, it’s having unexpected repercussions on our male fish population. A UK professor found that chemicals – including plastic – making its way into our rivers are changing the fish's gender, with some demonstrating “feminised traits” such as reduced sperm quality and less aggressive behaviour, making them less likely to breed successfully. Some are even producing eggs.

It’s an issue that’s making its way back round the food chain. Anchovies have been found to consume microplastics (which smell to them like food), they’re being eaten by bigger fish, which are then consumed by us, meaning we’re polluting our oceans as well as our own bodies.

It's clear more needs to be done to stem the issue. So what are the main offenders? Alongside plastic packaging, wet wipes are among the worst. An investigation by Water UK found that wet wipes – which commonly contain polypropylene, a plastic which won’t decompose – made up more than 90% of the material causing sewer blockages. And river cleaning teams in London discovered that the hundreds of thousands of wipes that were flushed down the loo actually created a new river bed in the Thames – a phenomenon found increasingly in rivers around the world. With Brits using an estimated 1,102,822,000 wet wipes a year, it’s clear it’s an enormous issue to overcome.

But, there's a sea change in motion. The Attenborough Affect – spurred by national treasure David Attenborough’s efforts to inform the nation – has led to a 53% decrease in single-use plastic from consumers, 82% of whom now consider products with sustainable packaging more important than ever, according to a study from GlobalWebIndex.

So what needs to be done? For a start we need to turn our consternation into actual action. Despite the rising number of those wanting to tackle the problem, only 50% of Brits are recycling their bathroom waste (as opposed to the 90% of kitchen waste recycled) simply because it’s inconvenient. Every step we take independently to educate ourselves and make smart choices makes a huge difference cumulatively. Adding a recycling bin to your bathroom is a huge extra step.

For widespread change, political action is vital. The government has already taken conservative steps by banning microbeads in 2018, while October 2020 saw a similar ban on plastic-stemmed cotton buds come into force. “These items are often used for just a few minutes, but take hundreds of years to break down,” the government said of the decision to tackle the 1.8 billion plastic-stemmed cotton buds used each year by Brits. It may not sound significant, but without government intervention, there's nothing to force brands and consumers to break established habits and replace them with new, sustainable alternatives. Of course, there’s still much more to do. “We’re calling on the UK government to set new legally-binding targets to radically reduce single use plastic production and to establish an independent watchdog to enforce these targets,” says Fiona Nicholls, Plastic Campaigner for Greenpeace.

Big corporations need to be implementing change, too. So many encouraging steps have already been made. “The beauty industry were the first to react to the public backlash to unwanted microbeads in beauty products, and many brands voluntarily phased them out before the UK Government ban came into force,” says Nicholls. “Now the industry has an even greater opportunity to reduce their plastic footprint by introducing refillable/reusable packaging alternatives, or 'going naked' with their products as some brands have chosen to do." Recycling alone, while a step in the right direction, simply isn’t enough. “It has become very clear that we can’t recycle out of this mess: we simply don’t have the facilities in the UK and countries like Malaysia are starting to send our recycled plastics back as they just can’t cope with it all.” Instead, brands looking to reuse the resources we already have are making all the difference.

Ethique

All of Ethique's products are plastic free and water free, instead providing alternatives to shampoo, conditioner, body wash and more in concentrated bar form. And because they're not filled with water (they lather on their own once they come into contact with the water in your shower), each bar will last you the same as three bottles of liquid shampoo. All of the packaging (which is kept to a minimum) is 100% compostable, which means once you've used up your bar, it leaves no trace behind on the planet. So far they've saved 3.4 million plastic bottle from being used. Started in founder Brianne West's kitchen, the brand has grown to develop a cult following thanks to its effective, sustainable and delicious formulas which are all made from plant-based, vegan ingredients like coconut oil, cocoa butter and essential oils. Each year, 20% of Ethique's profits go to charities fighting to protect the planet.

Try: Ethique Pinkalicious Solid Shampoo, £9.74, Boots

We Are Paradoxx

We Are Paradoxx uses aluminium packaging at an additional cost to the brand to help fight the war against plastic waste, and specifically to reduce the amount of plastic reaching landfill and our oceans. Aluminium can be infinitely recycled without losing its form and grade (unlike plastic), and it lends itself to being reused if not recycled by keeping existing materials in use. The company is a member of 1% For The Planet, donating 1% of its annual revenue to environmental causes to help counterbalance its impact on the environment.

Try: We Are Paradoxx Keep It Clean Duo, £35, Look Fantastic

Lush

Lush has saved an estimated 1.8 million plastic bottles after making its switch to naked packaging.

Try: Minamisoma Shower Oil, £5, Lush

Face Halo

The ideal alternative to disposable wipes, Face Halo's genius face cloths gives a more thorough cleanse and can be reused up to 500 times.

Try: Face Halo Original 3 Pack, £14.40, Feel Unique

Floral Street

Luxury fragrance brand, Floral Street, has traded in traditional outer packaging for a compostable carton created from sustainably sourced pulp, which means no waste.

Try: Floral Street London Poppy Eau de Parfum 50ml, £64, Feel Unique

The Body Shop

The Body Shop has axed face wipes after no longer being able to justify the waste and environmental impact. And, they’re using their stores to clean up the planet by collecting used plastic which might have otherwise ended up polluting our rivers, lakes and oceans and reusing it. Customers can return their empties in store as part of the brands Return, Repeat, Recycle program, plus the brand is piloted refill stations at its flagship store in Bond Street (which should roll out nationwide).

Try: Pink Grapefruit Hand Wash Refill, £3, The Body Shop

One Ocean Beauty

If ever there were a beauty brand committed to the ocean, it’s One Ocean Beauty. In fact saving the waves is woven into their DNA. The ingredients themselves are made from lab grown marine ingredients like algae to avoid harvesting limited resources, while the packaging is made from recycled wood and is made of 100% recyclable bioplastic.

Try: One Ocean Beauty Replenishing Deep Sea Moisturiser, £65, Cult Beauty

Love Beauty & Planet

Created by Unilever with the specific aim to do things more sustainably, Love Beauty & Planet’s bottles are made from 100% recycled plastic and are 100% recyclable to make use of the vast amounts of existing plastic and nix the need for any more to be created.

Try: Love Beauty and Planet Happy and Hydrated Shampoo, £11.99, Amazon

REN Clean Skincare

Ren are cleaning up the beaches by using reclaimed ocean plastic wherever possible to keep as much out of the environment and in the recycling loop. They’ve made the switch to biodegradable films on their gift boxes and use recycled zips on their gift bags.

Try: REN Clean Skincare Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Anti-Fatigue Body Wash, £24, Look Fantastic

BYBI

BYBI has made sustainable packaging its mission from the start and make use of glass wherever they can (a material that’s infinitely more sustainable). In fact, they are introducing a revolutionary new system in which you can send back your skin booster bottles with a freepost envelope in order for it to be sterilised and reused again to close the loop on more materials being produced. The brand has also invested in biodegradable plastic bottles which can be chemically decomposed into nothing at composting plants.

Try: BYBI Beauty Bakuchiol Booster, £13, Look Fantastic

P&G

Procter & Gamble have introduced reusable, recyclable and refillable hair products from some of its leading brands like Aussie, Herbal Essences, Head & Shoulders and Pantene.

Try: Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo with Aussie Reusable Bottle, £9.99, Boots

For more from GLAMOUR's Deputy Beauty Editor, Elle Turner follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk.