In order to address the problematic relationship between the beauty industry and the environment, and their specific role within it, beauty brand L’Oréal USA has become a signatory of The U.S. Plastics Pact.
The U.S. Plastics Pact announced on August 25, 2020, was launched as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation global Plastics Pact network. Spearheaded by The Recycling Partnership and the World Wildlife Fund, the initiative seeks to unite public-private stakeholders involved with different parts of the plastics value chain to reconsider the ways that plastic is currently used, designed, and reused. The overall goal of The U.S. Plastics Pact is to reduce the amount of plastic used in the United States by developing a circular plastic economy.
Since its inception, over 60 corporations, government agencies, and NGOs have joined the pact. One such corporation is L’Oréal USA.
As part of the company’s dedication to The U.S. Plastics Pact, L’Oréal USA has committed to delivering on four specific targets, most of which are to be completed by 2025. The first and most urgent target will require them to examine the existing packaging of their products and create a list of packaging that they either deem problematic or entirely unnecessary. They have agreed to define this list by 2021, as well as take the necessary steps to eliminate or replace this packaging by 2025.
The second goal of The U.S. Plastics Pact that L’Oréal USA has agreed to: Making all plastic packaging recyclable, compostable, or reusable by 2025. Third, they have committed themselves to recycling or composting 50 percent of existing plastic packaging by 2025. The fourth and final goal they intend to achieve is to make the average recycled content or responsibly sourced, bio-based content in plastic packaging 30 percent by 2025.
“L’Oréal is committed to doing our part to protect the planet from the global climate crisis we are facing, and we are transforming our business to do so. We are proud to be part of the U.S. Plastics Pact and join over 60 organizations in working together toward system-wide change toward a circular economy for plastic in the United States,” shares Danielle Azoulay, L’Oréal USA’s head of corporate social responsibility and sustainability.
L’Oréal USA’s signing of the pact comes on the heels of their L’Oréal for the Future initiative, which launched this past summer. L’Oréal for the Future is the company’s worldwide sustainability campaign, which includes several goals they plan to achieve by 2030. Committing to The U.S. Plastics Pact is clearly another step by the global beauty brand towards respecting the planet, lowering their carbon footprint, and reducing the 120 billion units of plastic waste that the beauty industry is responsible for each year.
