L’Oréal has reported significant progress towards its 2020 sustainability targets, with an update on the 2015 results of its Sharing Beauty With All sustainability programme.
In 2015, 74% of all new products launched had enhanced environmental or social benefits, up from 67% in 2014. The group also launched products that were 97-99% biodegradable including Garnier Ultra Doux, Mythical Olive Body Lotion, Kératase Fusio-Dose Booster Discipline, Ushuaïa Hibiscus Bio deodorant, Armani Men Master Cleanser and Vichy After-Sun Shower Oil.
L’Oréal reported a 56% decrease in overall carbon emissions during product development, which was a further fall on the 26% reported in 2005. The company aims for a reduction of 60% by 2020.
More than half of all the raw materials used by L’Oréal are now from renewable sources including 1,400 ingredients from almost 300 different plant species. The company also used more than 4,900 tonnes of recycled materials for its packaging in 2015.
L’Oréal is also offering more people from underprivileged backgrounds access to employment. In 2015 the company employed more than 60,600 people from these areas, an increase from 54,000 in 2014. Through the Beauty for a Better Life Programme, L’Oréal also provided free vocational training in the beauty sector for 2,700 people in very difficult economic situations in 2015.
All of L’Oréal’s supplies of palm oil, it derivatives and palm kernel oil were sourced from sustainable locations, while just 2.2% of industrial waste was sent to landfill.
Alexandra Palt, Chief Sustainability Officer at L’Oréal, said: “The mobilisation of all L’Oréal teams allowed us to roll out the Sharing Beauty With All programme worldwide on a solid basis. We will now move to an acceleration phase to achieve our targets by 2020.”
However, Jean-Paul Agon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at L’Oréal, also said: “Despite these advances, we have not lost sight of the fact that there are still a number of challenges to overcome. One such task is sustainable innovation in packaging, which we aim to step up. Another is responsible consumption: encouraging consumers to adopt more sustainable practices is a challenge as vital as it is complex, requiring a real paradigm shift.”