September 8, 2024 | 10:06am
MANILA, Philippines — In the beauty and wellness sectors, plastic waste is a sustainability problem that has been difficult to solve.
The question remains: how does one totally eliminate plastic packaging in products such as shampoo, conditioner and liquid soap?
“Two heads are better than one,” as the popular saying goes, and two internationally known beauty brands have joined forces to kick off the first green joint business plan in the Philippine beauty and wellness sectors.
French personal care company L’Oréal and Hong Kong health and beauty chain store Watsons have partnered up to create programs that will help tackle plastic waste, raise awareness on sustainable choices, and provide livelihood opportunities for the vulnerable population in the Philippines.
“This first green joint business plan in the Philippines is a historic milestone in the long-standing partnership between L’Oréal and Watsons in the Philippines. Beyond our responsible business practices, I’m very proud that we are coming together to be catalysts for change by acting with urgency and helping solve the pressing environmental and social issues in the Philippines. It’s the right thing to do,” said Yannick Raynaud, Country Managing Director of L’Oréal Philippines.
Danilo Chiong, Managing Director of Watsons in the Philippines, also shared his support for the partnership. “At Watsons, we have updated our brand promise from ‘Look Good, Feel Great’ to ‘Look Good, Do Good, Feel Great’ to signify our strong commitment to do more sustainable practices. This first-ever green joint business plan is a comprehensive approach to driving collective impact to our planet, our people, and our products. I am inspired by the work we are doing and the positive impact that we can drive in the Philippines, and hope that programs like this can inspire other companies to do what is right for the environment.”
Measures to save environment
Plastic pollution is a major challenge in the Philippines. In 2022, the Philippine government implemented the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) 1 Bill for the recovery and management of post-consumer recycled plastic. In 2023, the French company was able to recover, upcycle, and recycle 100% of its plastic volume in the Philippines, exceeding the 20% target set by the government for the first year of implementation.
With the green joint business plan,the two brands are accelerating collective transformation towards a business model that respects planetary boundaries, empowers the business ecosystem, and reinforces commitments to drive inclusive growth.
The joint collaboration programs include the “Recycle for Rewards” program led by Garnier, a brand under the L’Oréal Group. Consumers are encouraged to donate empty beauty and wellness bottles at select Watsons stores to get discounts. The initiative started last May in 23 participating Watsons stores in Metro Manila.
To help consumers make sustainable choices, the French store is ramping up the listing of products under Watsons’ Sustainable Choices category with products that are refillable, made with recycled content and sustainable paper and with ingredients that are from bio-based, abundant, or circular processes.
An example of this is Garnier’s Micellar Water container that is made of 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) PET plastic (R-PET). Cartons used in L’Oréal’s packaging are made of FSC-certified paper.
All point-of-sale materials (POSMs) used by L’Oréal in Watsons stores are 100% eco-designed. They follow the 3R strategy that involves reducing the weight of products and packaging by designing them with smaller dimensions and lighter materials whenever possible. Additionally, the French company aims to replace traditional materials with alternatives that have a better environmental footprint, making them more suitable for reuse and recycling.
There is also a Digital Beauty Academy, a social inclusion program by the Hong Kong chain that provides training on beauty, wellness, and social commerce with the goal of equipping individuals with valuable skills to thrive in the digital space and gain livelihood opportunities.
Apart from this, the Hong Kong brand also has Alagang Pangkalusugan medical and wellness program, which aims to uplift overall wellbeing of vulnerable communities. The program is planned extend to Metro Manila, Palawan, Bacolod, Iloilo, and Pampanga this year.
Both brands are also working on upskilling brand ambassadors and staff on sustainability and conscious consumption.
In addition, the French beauty brand is working on transitioning 100% of plastic used in its packaging to be recycled or bio-sourced by 2030. It is also working for 95% of its product ingredients to be derived from bio-based sources, abundant minerals or from circular processes by 2030.
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