Sustainable by excess and by default
Green, because we love you green, SIWON
Earth Day 2024... and our thinking about green cosmetics, natural cosmetics, sustainable cosmetics, sustainability... has changed quite a bit over the years. We stopped talking to you about sustainability. Want to know why? Keep reading 👇🏻
The sustainable shopper marches to the beat of their own drum, more so than someone who orders pineapple 🍍 on their pizza.🍕
The true 'greenies' (not the nature Nazis, who are Twitter trolls talking about green without knowing) are few and they know what they're doing. Their main reason for choosing between options is sustainability, they buy anything only if it's STRICTLY necessary, they opt for INFINITE reuse of packaging, only shop at farmers' markets, read, study, inform themselves... and above all, they RUN from green marketing. You and I, dear green sprite, we're not like that. Do we care about sustainability? - of course, but (still) we're not ready to stop flying on airplanes for vacation, we down 10 beer bottles at the bar without asking the owner about their recycling chain, and we indulge in a little something new every time there's a sale. People like you and me hope that brands will make the necessary efforts to make the world a kinder, more human, and less weird place. And with that, we're exposed to the green marketing of brands.
Greenwashing is about selling something as sustainable when it's not. Lying is wrong, sure, but today we wanted to tell you that the MAJORITY of brands, no matter how well-intentioned they are, commit some 'minor' offense, even if it's by omission, with this whole greenwashing thing. The most typical ones:
Let him who is without greenwashing cast the first stone.🪨
• The green aesthetic:🟢
Packaging in green, photos of fruits, people strolling through landscapes taken from the movie Avatar. By association, you're sending a signal to whoever buys from you. Marketing 101.
• Twisting words of love:💓
I'm eco-friendly (which is like the modern version of 'I have gay friends'), I'm free of "toxins" (because, of course, the rest of the industry is dedicated to the ancient art of poison and hemlock poisoning), I'm natural (like yogurt). They're all vague, abstract terms, and since they don't have official definitions, we can't say they're incorrect... but they do paint images in people's minds without factual support.
• The Cosmetic Ludo:🎲
This is like making a 'green' move and singing '20' (generally skipping the rest of the production cycle). Examples of the latter include:
- "My packaging is glass made"
And have you stopped to think about the cost (in terms of energy) of producing glass? And transporting it? And recycling it? The 'green math' isn't so obvious in the glass vs. plastic fight.
- "I offer refills of products."
Ah, but... is the refillable container simply a version with less plastic, but perfectly usable separately? So there wasn't a need for so much packaging in the first place, right?
- "Some of my ingredients come from waste from other industries."
And the other 99%? And the rest of your manufacturing process?
Brands flaunting sustainability in 2024 are like the 'good morning, blessings' memes sent in your family WhatsApp group. Like the annual Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence from The Simpsons.
Anachronistic, crusty, eyebrow-raising... What's trendy (besides having sex) is for brands, like Alcoholics Anonymous, to go through three phases:
1. Recognition.
We've got a problem. Being 100% sustainable is IMPOSSIBLE (the best option would be not to produce… and there are even people who question that). But acknowledging it is the first step.
2. We're working on it day by day;
Taking small steps so that every time you put on a cream, it's not only 'good' for your skin but also neutral (note the word) for the planet
3. We don't let that define our personality.
Our unique value proposition. Sustainability is taken for granted, just like paying your taxes, paying people a fair wage... because it's normal, it's logical... and punchy.
Intentional, comprehensive, default sustainability. The one we don't talk about because it's taken for granted.
P.S: This week's blog is sponsored by Tan-Tan-Go. It could easily come in a Tetra Pak because it's loaded with fresh and juicy seasonal fruits. But we've opted to put it in an airless container to reduce the use of preservatives, manufacture it locally to cut down on transportation, and produce it in small batches so it doesn't expire, spoil, and you have to throw it away.