Shoppers Demand for More Sustainable Beauty Products
While numbers of cosmetics companies are now embracing green packaging, environmentally friendly formulations and good ethical practice, shoppers think it is still not enough. Almost three-quarters (71%) of UK consumers pointed out that beauty brands need to be more sustainable, including packaging.
Today’s savvy consumers are very conscious about what product they use and the manufacturing process. England based The Pull Agency, a creative agency specialising in health and beauty brands, conducted a survey Future of Beauty which involved 2,000 participants and question about: “Sustainability: Do Your Consumer Really Care.” The agency wonders if there is a potential market behind the buzzing of sustainable beauty selections.
The Pull Agency’s head of brand strategy, Claire Rance, reveals their findings that 46% of participants think that the beauty industry’s biggest challenge is plastic waste. Almost all participants believe brands are not transparent enough about their sustainability credentials. Further, the study points to the importance of recycling: 45% of UK buyers admit they seek to recycle symbols when purchasing beauty products. And 67% have recycled their old beauty packaging.
The research found that nine of out ten buyers look for sustainable credentials in their beauty and personal care purchases. However, 70% of the participants say they don’t find the brand’s sustainability claims clear enough to identify their products’ differences over another.
“Sustainability has become a key element of some beauty and personal care brands’ marketing, especially when targeting younger audiences, but this research suggests many of them still have a long way to go.” – Claire Rance
She adds that brands should be focusing on consumers’ behaviour and be more transparent about their products and companies. Even though affordability is still the highest factor affecting consumers’ decisions when purchasing health and beauty and personal care products, but the study shows 88% of shoppers would pay more for products with genuine sustainability credentials.
+ Words: Alvia Zuhadmono, Luxiders Magazine
Sustainable communication student | Sweden-based writer
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