Aesop trials refill scheme, works towards 100% sustainable packaging by 2025

By Austyn King | Published: 29-Sep-2020

The Natura-owned skin care brand is also partnering with eco-friendly fashion brand RÆBURN as part of its push towards a circular economy

Aesop, the Australian skin care brand, is ramping up its sustainability efforts with a number of eco-friendly initiatives and partnerships as it moves towards achieving a circular economy as well as meeting consumer needs post-Covid-19.

The Natura-owned brand is trialling a refill scheme at one of its stores in Adelaide, Australia, with a long term goal of offering refill solutions for 50% of its beauty packaging by 2030.

Customers can return their used glass bottles for four of Aesop's facial cleansers to be cleaned, sanitised and refilled, following the success of a similar initiative launched in 2018 across Hong Kong.

The pilot scheme comes as the apothecary-style brand works towards making 100% of its packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.

Currently, more than two thirds of its plastic packaging consists of more than 97% recycled PET, which is said to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and work towards a circular economy, according to Aesop.

Stylish and sustainable

Furthering its eco-friendly efforts, the brand has also announced a collaboration with ethical fashion brand RÆBURN on a yet-to-be-announced joint venture, targeted at meeting consumer needs during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Set to drop in January 2021, the project is said to encompass the brands' shared principles of 'practicality, functionality and purpose'.

Adam Kakembo, Aesop’s Chief Marketing Officer, said: “We approached RÆBURN with the idea for a collaborative project having long admired Christopher’s [Raeburn, founder] ability to blend utility and convenience with aesthetic desirability.

“With the humble soap heralded by global health authorities as the best line of defence against the virus, the necessity of hygiene and cleanliness is more prevalent than ever before.

“Regular sanitation of our hands and surroundings has become an engrained habit, and one that will remain with us as we endeavour to return to a life more ordinary.”

In Q2 2020, Aesop saw e-commerce sales surge by 430% compared to the previous year as consumers focused on hygiene and wellbeing during lockdown.

Kakembo added: “With a shared commitment to responsible design, we have created a concept inspired by the post-Covid needs of our customer as they navigate the new normal.”

The latest initiatives come as the brand works towards achieving B Corporation status, a certification that upholds the mindset of balancing purpose and profit, which it plans to submit by the end of this year.

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