Caring for the planet is not at odds with personal care and the use of cosmetics. The Body Shop is a perfect example of this. Based in London, the composition of its products is largely vegetarian and vegan, its packaging is made with recycled plastic, along with other and other actions to protect the environment, which have positioned the company as a benchmark in the sustainable beauty market. Founded in 1976, The Body Shop is a natural cosmetics company that from its origins was conceived as a sustainable brand. Its founder, Anita Roddick, was a visionary and pioneer in what is known today as sustainability, by considering from the design of her business respect for animal rights, recycling, activism, defence of human rights, women's empowerment, circular economy, decent and fair work, among others. It was the first international beauty brand to campaign against animal testing for cosmetic purposes in 1989, which paved the way for the achievement of the European-wide ban on animal testing in 2013. Today, The Body Shop is the world's largest woman-founded B Corp company that cares not only about making a profit but also about the impact it can have on the planet. Its lines of activism run along several lines, from its campaigns against animal testing (its fight is aimed at the global outlawing of cosmetic testing on animals around the world) to the reforestation of millions of square metres of forest. In 2018, 2 cents of every Christmas purchase was donated to the Woodland Trust and World Land Trust for the protection and reforestation of 10 million square metres in the United Kingdom and Armenia.
As of June 2019, they have 119 products whose packaging is made from 75% recycled plastic. Shower gels, fragrances, body lotions, facial cleansers, make-up removers, toners and more save 580 tonnes of new plastic every year. Its cardboard packaging is also FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified. For all these reasons, The Body Shop's products are the most sustainable on the market. And their prices are also quite affordable, so you're not only looking after the environment but also your wallet. Certified B Company In 2019, The Body Shop was certified as a B Company, joining a select group of companies united in their mission to drive change in society through ethical and sustainable business. In partnership with other B Corporations, The Body Shop is committed to doing business in a way that benefits both people and the planet. B Corp certification is awarded to companies that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. In the same year, the company launched a Community Fair Trade recycled plastic programme, sourcing plastic from marginalised waste pickers in Bengaluru, India. This gave power back to the workers, empowering them to get access to a safe working environment, fair wages, and receiving the respect they deserve. Cruelty Free Cruelty Free is used to refer to any item, consumer product or otherwise, that is cruelty-free. It is common knowledge that a large part of the cosmetics and hygiene industry tests its products on animals through horrible procedures that bring them to a sad end. This is totally unnecessary and does not ensure 100% effectiveness with respect to the reactions that these products could have on humans, as physiologically we are very different. A lot of progress has been made in the establishment of alternative testing methods to animal cruelty, and beware! They are often cheaper, faster and even more effective. In addition, there are thousands of already approved ingredients and existing products available. In addition to being PETA approved to test its products, The Body Shop is certified by the Leaping Bunny seal awarded by Cruelty Free International.