There’s no better time to introduce sustainable business practices for your small brand than April, also known as Earth Month! Celebrate Earth Month—and Earth Day, on April 22nd— by taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint of your cosmetics brand.
The importance of sustainability for your beauty brand
When it comes to the connection between your line of cosmetics and the issue of sustainability, the strength of the relationship can’t be overstated. Consider the following statistics:
- According to one large-scale report, 40% of those surveyed cited sustainability as a major factor when making purchase decisions.
- Eighty percent of consumers surveyed reported making a shift towards sustainability in the last five years.
- Similarly, 83% of those surveyed said they would always choose a brand with a better sustainability record.
- The importance of your brand’s impact on the environmental impact is largely dependent on the demographic being surveyed: 65% of consumers cite sustainability as being an important consideration when making an order but this number is amplified to 85% when the age range is limited to 18-24.
When taking steps to build a more eco-friendly beauty brand, keep the following three core pillars of sustainability in mind:
- People (social responsibilities such as community engagement and supporting environmental charities)
- Planet (environmental concerns around sustainability and how ingredients and packaging are sourced)
- Profit (economic factors such as the long term cost-effectiveness of sustainable ingredients and green ecommerce tech)
While the idea of making sustainable changes in your small beauty business might feel overwhelming, there are, in fact, many small-yet-impactful steps that can be taken that yield measurable results.
Pair your ecommerce shop with a platform that’s focused on sustainability
Apps and platforms focused on sustainability are forms of green ecommerce—also known as tech that’s designed to reduce carbon emissions, encourage transparency, and lower waste at every step of the manufacturing and marketing process.
- Green Story is a “sustainability platform helping brands unlock the potential of their sustainability data and achieve a better way of doing business.” The platform collects and presents data about a brand’s environmental impact—a useful feature in terms of impressing both stakeholders and customers, while also managing and supporting supply chain transparency and streamlining the process of impact purchases.
- Ecodrive is a Shopify-integrated app that verifies trees planted on behalf of a brand. Adding tree planting as an option during the check-out process increases conversion and retention while encouraging customer loyalty and repeat purchases. Our preferred partner Ecodrive has offered Blanka users an exclusive discount code! Use code BLANKA when you sign up to get 3 months of the portal fee ($25/month) waived. Start your sustainable business today with Ecodrive!
- Shopify Planet seamlessly integrates with your shop to offer carbon-neutral shipping on all orders. Letting you decide between paying for carbon-neutral shipping yourself or offering it as an upgrade option for customers at checkout, Planet also provides customizable badges to showcase your commitment to sustainability.
- Another Shopify app, Footprint gives customers the ability to make a difference after making their purchase. Choosing a charity relevant to your brand’s environmental mission (or several, so that clients have the option to select their own) gives your customers the opportunity to make a positive difference in the world each time they place an order from your ecommerce store.
Integrate these eco-conscious platforms into your ecommerce storefront by signing up to Blanka for a free 14-day trial today!
Offer information about recycling programs for beauty packaging
What do Sephora, London Drugs, and Ulta Beauty have in common? In addition to having a massive retail presence, these beauty and cosmetics stores offer in-store recycling for empty packages and bottles. Depending on the location, individuals can drop off items such as mascara tubes, glass foundation bottles, eyeliner and lip pencils, as well as powder, blush, and eye shadow compacts—any brand is accepted, whether purchased at the store or not.
As it turns out, recycling programs are sorely needed. The social justice platform TRVST estimates that waste from beauty packaging equals 120 billion units of garbage every year in the form of plastic, glass, paper, and metal. Although symbols on packaging might indicate that it’s recyclable, the reality is that many municipal programs are under-equipped to deal with many types of beauty packaging.
Including information about how to recycle beauty products from your brand does more than promote eco-friendly habits on your customer’s behalf. You’ll also find that it enhances your brand’s image and reputation as being environmentally conscious, demonstrates your commitment to sustainability, and will differentiate your product from those without any eco-initiatives.
The best place to display this important information? Both on your website (throughout your store and at checkout) and on recycled cardboard inserts included in your customer’s order.
Add a custom insert card to your beauty brand packaging today!
Give local customers the option to pick up their order
For brands that store their own inventory, offering customers a local pick-up option will reduce carbon emissions associated with shipping while also cutting costs for the client as well as the business owner.
Not only does this option encourage environmental sustainability, it also provides a faster delivery time (leading to greater customer satisfaction) as well as the idea of flexibility and convenience if a customer isn’t typically home to receive packages.
No room to store your inventory? No problem!
At Blanka we offer warehousing and dropshipping solutions for all your beauty brand needs.
Start your 14-day FREE trial today!
Conclusion
There’s no denying the fact that sustainability is an important issue for consumers; statistics show eco-conscious customers are looking for brands that centre people, the planet, and profit that benefits environmental interests.
Using platforms and apps that promote sustainability, offering alternative recycling programs, and local pick-up instead of shipping are simple-to-implement steps that yield big rewards.
At Blanka, we make it easy to create a sustainable cosmetics brand. With no minimum orders and hundreds of unbranded cruelty-free and vegan beauty products, there’s no better home for your eco-conscious line of beauty products.
Start your sustainable beauty line!
