Leading market intelligence agency, Mintel, has announced sub-zero waste as the 2019 global beauty and personal care trend and released the following report:

• Sustainability is in the spotlight. More people are questioning brands on their eco-ethical practices, yet efforts to change are still limited.
   
• Beauty personal care (BPC) consumers are seeking more straightforward, simple beauty routines, and there will be a backlash against brands that purposely create limited shelf life products, or encourage overconsumption. There is scope to create products that can be reinvented, not replaced, and opportunity for new formats and packaging that support long-lasting or transformative products.
   
• Brands must be more environmentally responsible and must be transparent about their practices, but consumers must also take some accountability. Many people want to help, but aren’t sure how, so brands can win loyalty by using education and offering simple solutions. These provide a feel-good factor and save consumers money and time.
   
• Native brands such as Ethique, Lamazuna, LOLI Beauty and Seed Phytonutrients have built their businesses on environmental policies. Because of this, these smaller brands can be more aggressive and have a stronger viewpoint. Bigger brands, on the other hand, need to make themselves a part of the movement and, better yet, get ahead of the conversation. Ethique (Australia) is “on a mission to eradicate the world of plastic waste and we want you to be a part of it” (via Instagram @ethiqueusa).
   
• In 2019, consumers will continue to focus on considerately packaged products, but will also be drawn to brands that place a wider focus on reducing waste. Creating new ‘end purpose’ packaging concepts, ancillary products for storing and transporting zero-packaged products, as well as adding ‘wastefree’ beauty treatments, will appeal.
   
• Consumers expect brands to take responsibility for their waste. Adopters like Unilever and L’Oréal have both pledged to use 100% recyclable, reusable, and compostable plastic by 2025. The Procter & Gamble Company has committed to introducing 25% recycled plastic across 500 million haircare bottles in 2018. Seed Phytonutrients (US) believes it’s their responsibility to lead the way and promote environmental sustainability for the beauty industry as a whole (via seedphytonutrients.com). 
   
• Upcycling: Beauty and personal care brands that offer refills need to maintain post-sale contact with customers and provide information about how their new solutions are reducing waste. Implementing a returns scheme, allowing customers to return packaging they do not wish to refill, and exploring refurbished cosmetics in returned packaging at a reduced cost can ensure sustainability goals are met.

There’s no doubt that ‘Sub-Zero Waste’ will transform the beauty and personal care industry over the next five years. For more information and more industry insight visit mintel.com

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