Sustainable development in the cosmetics industry has become the biggest challenge. Therefore, it was marked as the main objective of the UN for 2030. Thus, implementing products based on recycling and creation while respecting the environment. Progress must also be made in the use of recycled materials, the non-inclusion of unnecessary plastics or brochures, the use of renewable energies and the reduction of transport emissions. With its objective in mind, the cosmetics industry is working in leaps and bounds to promote less polluting and biodegradable products. Ingredients are grown and harvested in an environmentally (and local community) friendly manner. That the packaging comes from recycled materials, is recyclable again or reusable and does not include unnecessary plastics or leaflets. Energy consumption during production is efficient and based on renewable energy. The emissions intensity of transportation should be minimal. Broadly speaking, this is what the world, which is increasingly aware of (and well-informed about) sustainability, should be demanding from its cosmetics. From toothpaste to mascara, the industry faces the biggest challenge in its history: to become less polluting.
The cosmetics industry is researching (and investing) to improve environmental impact. However, consumers still find it difficult to discern the particularities of a product throughout its life cycle. In 2015, the United Nations Agenda 2030 was launched and sustainable development was included as one of the 17 goals of the Paris Agreement. There, measures were defined around the needs of the planet and society. For this reason, the environmental impact is constant research in the cosmetics industry. In fact, the researcher of the Institute for Environmental Diagnosis and Water Studies, Ethel Eljarrat warned about microplastics. Eljarrat explained that microplastics end up in the sea, wildlife ingests them and the chemicals reach their tissues. When consumed by humans, the load of contaminants can cause diseases such as cancer, infertility or obesity. For this reason, various specialists are focusing on finding a different approach in the plastics industry. And to ensure that packaging has a second life and does not end up as waste. With a defined objective, the cosmetics industry is already shaping up for 2030 where sustainable development is expected to triumph in favor of the environment and society, thus reducing pollution. In order for the cosmetics industry to achieve sustainable development, all ingredients used in products are expected to have been grown and harvested with respect to the environment and their localities. The Goal is to See Results by 2025 "This waste, especially single-use packaging, which is counted in tons globally after decades of mismanagement by producers and consumers, is having an unprecedented negative impact on the economy, the planet and people. It's time to think more about prevention than recycling" warns Elena Ruiz, a Circular Economy Expert at Forética, an association of companies and corporate social responsibility professionals. For the next decade, Amarjit Sahota predicts that "creams, in addition to being good for the skin, will be good for the planet: if the remains go to the landfill, they will disintegrate (they are biodegradable) and if they go down the drain, they will help the ecosystem". One of the main challenges, according to Dr Lucero, Professor of the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology of the University of Seville. has to do with new formulations: "We will have to replace polluting ingredients with others that do not lose effectiveness". The 2030 Agenda for sustainable development is underway, including in cosmetics. The Era of the Conscious Consumer Moreover, as the experts point out, the trend we have seen in recent years has accelerated with the advent of COVID-19. With the advent of COVID-19, the trend we see in recent years has accelerated. This brings us closer to a change of era: the era of the conscious consumer. With this situation, a new paradigm has emerged in which being environmentally friendly takes on great importance. Consumers are increasingly informed and demand that products are manufactured in an ethical and respectful manner. The conscious consumer searches and informs himself before buying. It is therefore essential that this industry also takes this into account in order to adapt to these new needs. What Challenges Does the Cosmetics Sector Face? When we talk about challenges in the sector we must take into account many factors:
How it has been produced: that is, how much energy and water has been used in the production process; whether this has been efficient and whether renewable energies have been used. It is also important to know what ingredients were used and how the raw materials were cultivated. It is also important to know how much waste has been generated by the whole process. Finally, it is also important to know what materials have been used for the packaging. How it is distributed: the transportation of the products should be as environmentally friendly as possible. The packaging should be biodegradable or reusable in order to give it a second life.
In other words, all these challenges are what the world, increasingly aware and informed of our impact on the planet, should be demanding from the cosmetics industry. From the soap with which you wash your hands to the mascara. The cosmetics sector faces a historic challenge: to be less polluting.