Australian beauty brand Frank body has said it will cut ties with retailers it believes are not pulling their weight in the fight against climate change.
Currently, the brand is available via its own DTC website, as well as Boots, Cult Beauty, Lookfantastic and fellow Australian brand Mecca.
“We have ceased relationships with retailers who we feel aren’t committing to enough action when it comes to sustainability,” said Alex Boffa, co-founder of the affordable skin care brand.
“We haven’t been afraid to cut ties with these retailers in favour of those who are engaged in initiatives or action that supports a more sustainable world.”
The announcement comes amid an eco-overhaul for the brand, in which it has laid out a number of commitments to reduce its carbon footprint.
Over the next 18 months, Frank Body has said it will become ‘plastic neutral’ by 2022, meaning that for every piece of plastic created for the brand, the same amount will be removed from the environment.
This will be possible through its partnership with Tridi Oasis, an Indonesian manufacturer of recycled plastic bottles.
All packaging tubes are expected to be made from 80% sustainable materials and its body wash bottles will use 50% post-consumer recycled materials.
Refillables are also tapped to become a permanent feature for its core ranges.
On top of its packaging pledges, Frank Body has teamed up with Green Fleet, a not-for-profit that restores plants and forests, to offset its carbon emissions from online order deliveries and international freight.
In addition, Frank Body’s Australian HQ will be powered by 100% renewable energy in 2021.
“We are up against a rapidly changing planet with slow moving government initiates, therefore it continues to be pivotal that brands step up and lead,” added Boffa.
“The onus to improve the livelihood of our planet ultimately falls back on brands and consumers because governments like Australia are doing very little.”
The brand’s new direction comes at a time when consumer trust is low in brands and retailers, with around 71% of UK consumers under the impression that brands and retailers are not doing enough to make products more sustainable.
- Beauty brands aren’t doing enough to make their products sustainable, say three quarters of shoppers
The findings by The Pull Agency, a creative agency specialising in health and beauty brands, revealed that one in five customers would like to see cosmetics brands using less packaging, while 17% would like more products to include natural ingredients.
However, in spite of brands’ commitments to becoming more eco-friendly, there is still a high level of scepticism from consumers.
According to The Pull Agency, 70% of respondents said they don’t find brand’s current sustainability claims helpful when it comes to choosing between products, and almost all of those surveyed (94%) said brands need to be more transparent in their claims.