Beauty Retail’s Sustainability Revolution
Published 07 September 2023
With 95% of cosmetics packaging thrown away after use (British Beauty Council, 2022), waste is one of the biggest challenges for the beauty industry. Presenting a more sustainable approach to beauty consumption, US-headquartered e-tailer This Is Beauty is giving home to damaged inventory that would otherwise be discarded.
This Is Beauty collaborates with consumer-favourite global retailers and brands, such as Estée Lauder (US), Shiseido-owned Nars, Korean-American Glow Recipe and The Inkey List (UK), to keep “imperfectly perfect” products in circulation. It provides an alternative pathway for products that have suffered damage in the supply chain and enables them to make it to store shelves at a discounted price. Items may appear with missing lids, in containers showing signs of damage, or with minor leaks. However, the contents remain untouched and are in perfect condition for use, having undergone checks before sale.
“We acknowledge the prevalent waste issue in the beauty industry, as it is inevitable that some products will sustain damage during their journey through the supply chain,” said Ian Pearson, founder and CEO of This is Beauty. “Over the past few years, we have refined our processes in preparation for scaling. Our objective is simple: to provide retailers and brands with a credible channel for their damaged inventory, resulting in reduced waste and increased availability of beauty products for conscious shoppers.”
As addressed in Beauty Sustainability Round-Up: September 2023, brands are exploring industry-disruptive ways to combat waste. The step taken by This Is Beauty is another novel example of how brands can rethink product development and inspire better consumer purchasing habits with sustainability at the forefront.
This type of approach also appeals to savvy shoppers who like finding bargains, allowing them to buy their favourite products at a cheaper price – see Beauty’s Thrifty Shift for more.