Aware that using non-renewable resources goes against sustainability principles, the Group seeks to replace them with recycled or biomass materials, or materials generated by technology that is not reliant on fossil-based resources. In 2022, L’Oréal used 172,158 tonnes of plastic in its primary, secondary and tertiary packaging. The Group is committed to using non‑fossil sources for 50% of its plastics by 2025.
In the context of L’Oréal for the Future, the Group is aiming to reach 100% non-fossil plastic by 2030.
Many brands use recycled plastic in their bottles (some as much as 100%) as well as other recycled materials in the packaging (recycled glass, paper or aluminium). In 2022,94,230 tonnes of recycled materials (1), including 58,142 tonnes in primary and secondary packaging, saved the equivalent amount of virgin materials. 78.1% of the volume of PET (2) used by the Group worldwide is recycled PET, i.e. 33,912 tonnes.
94,230 tonnes of recycled materials used in the Group’s packaging.
For example, Garnier Micellar Waters now contain 100% PCRPET(3). The same efforts have been made with PE (4) containers, in particular the CeraVe bottles, launched in China, which are now made from 100% PCR PE. Other product ranges also use other types of recycled materials. For example, the tubes for Dia Light and Inoa hair dye products are now made from 95%PCR aluminium. Recycled materials are not just used for haircare and skincare product packaging but also makeup, for example. In 2022, the bottle for the Maybelline Green Edition Mega Mousse Mascara was made from 96% recycled PP. The bottle for its Tinted Oil is made from 20% recycled glass. For glass packaging, initiatives to integrate recycled glass are continuing to be rolled out in the following product categories:skincare, makeup, perfumes and haircare.
In order to implement new circular solutions for plastic packaging, L’Oréal is working with an ecosystem of partners:
- the L’Oréal consortium with Carbios is developing a bio-recycling process. This involves using very specific enzymes in order to recycle PET plastics and polyester fibres more broadly. This innovative process will produced a recycled PET equivalent to virgin PET. In April 2019, Suntory, Nestlé Waters and Pepsi-Co joined this consortium;
- the partnership signed in 2018 with LOOP Industries®to depolymerise post-consumer PET into virgin-quality PET;and
- the partnership signed in July 2019 with PURECYCLE to produce recycled PP.
Recycle: integration into circular streams
In 2022, 38% of the Group’s plastic packaging was refillable, reusable, recyclable or compostable.
In 2017, L’Oréal joined the New Plastics Economy (NPEC)initiative of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. This initiative aims to rethink the life cycle of plastic so that plastic packaging never becomes a waste product and is re-inserted into the circular economy in the form of materials with biological or technical value.
Since 2018, L’Oréal has been a partner of the Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation. One specific goal of this partnerhsip is to engage actions to have plastic packaging 100% refillable, reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. This goal is one of the commitments L’Oréal made as part of the Ellen MacArthurGlobal Commitment. These commitments are monitored by the annual Progress Report.
In 2022, the percentage of refillable, reusable, recyclable or compostable plastic packaging was 38%.
Removing certain components that interfere with the recycling process improves the recyclability of packaging. For example, Garnier has discontinued the use of metallised labels across its Micellar Waters range in Europe. These measures have helped to eliminate disruptors that interfere with the plastic detection process in automatic sorting centres.
The Group’s brands have developed detailed sorting instructions for consumers to improve the recycling of their products.
In addition, in partnership with the eco-organisation CITEO, several L’Oréal brands in France (5) are pursuing a sorting awareness campaign (media, advertising etc.). Lastly, the“ www.beaute.fr” platform supports consumers in their process to sort their beauty products at the end of use.
Environmental impact and tools
To evaluate the impact of its finished products, the Group makes the following tools available to its design centres:
- SPOT (Sustainable Product Optimisation Tool), a tool for assessing the impact of packaging. Since 2017, this innovation has made it possible to meet the Group’s sustainability commitments (see section 4.3.1.3.1.);
- a tool to help in reducing the environmental impacts of transportation packaging for packaging components from suppliers to plants and transportation packaging of finished products from plants to the Group’s distribution centres, particularly through optimisation of palletisation.
(1) Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR).
(2) Polyethylene terephthalate.
(3) Post-consumer recycled (PCR).
(4) Polyethylene.
(5) Cadum, Garnier, L’Oréal Paris, Narta, Ushuaïa, Vichy etc.