UK’s environmental campaign Zero Waste Week’s research reveals that the global cosmetic industry produces over 120 billion tonnes of plastic waste every year. That includes empty lip gloss tubes, eyeshadow palettes and moisturiser bottles tossed into the bin. Only a small percentage of these make it to recycling programmes offered by beauty brands. To combat the issue, several global conglomerates and homegrown beauty brands have introduced the refillable format, where you can reuse empties without disposing them off in the trash.
asa Beauty’s founder, Asha Jindal-Khaitan, shares, “India has been responsible for consuming over 142 billion units of packaging in 2018, a number which has only risen with time.” The brand paved the way for refillable packaging in 2020, with almost every product in its portfolio offering refills, including lipsticks and cheek tints.
Homegrown beauty brand Colorbar’s ‘Take Me As I Am’ lipstick has been developed with an eco-friendly approach. “The 100 per cent aluminium packaging has allowed us to reduce the carbon footprint significantly,” Samir Modi, founder and managing director of Colorbar Cosmetics, informs us. These refillable lipsticks allow one to own multiple shades, albeit one at a time, while using the same casing, thus reducing packaging waste.
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On the international front, supermodel Miranda Kerr’s KORA Organics introduced refill pods for their indulgent moisturisers and eye creams back in 2021. Similarly, Glow Recipe, the Korean beauty brand known for its fruity formulations and colourful packaging, also offers refills for its moisturisers.
The sustainable concept of refillable packaging is a gateway for beauty consumers to experiment with their beauty choices while being environmentally conscious. With the potential to be a game-changer, refills can reduce waste production by a whopping 85 per cent. Jindal-Khaitan reveals, “Our first-ever production of refills was entirely sold out, which strengthened our beliefs of introducing a clean awakening.”
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