A group of 36 leading cosmetics and personal care companies, as well as professional associations, have joined forces to form the EcoBeautyScore Consortium.
Unveiled last year, the group aim to develop an industry-wide environmental impact assessment and scoring system for cosmetics products to help consumers make more sustainable choices.
The members so far include: Amorepacific, Babor, Beiersdorf, Colgate-Palmolive, Cosmébio, COSMED, Cosmetic Valley, Cosmetics Europe, cosnova, Coty, The Estée Lauder Companies, Eugène Perma, FEBEA, The Fragrance Creators Association, Henkel, IKW Beauty Care, The International Fragrance Association, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., JUST International AG, Kao, L’Oréal Groupe, LVMH, Nafigate, NAOS, Natrue, Natura &Co, NOHBA, Oriflame, P&G, Paragon Nordic, Puig, PZ Cussons, Shiseido, Sisley, STANPA, and Unilever.
The Consortium noted that it remains open for other companies and associations to join.
The EcoBeautyScore system aims to provide comparable environmental impact information, based on a common science-based methodology. This is expected to meet growing consumer demand for greater transparency about the environmental impact of cosmetics products (formula, packaging and usage). The Consortium pointed to research showing that 42% of consumers are interested in buying brands that concentrate on circular and sustainable practices.
The group is working with sustainability consultancy Quantis to ensure a “robust and scientific” approach to co-build the assessment methodology and scoring system.
The members have started to come together, organized in thematic working groups. A footprinting and scoring prototype is targeted for end of this year, providing the environmental scoring for a selection of product categories at first. It will then be verified by independent parties before a wider rollout.
