L’Oréal collaborates with Avery Dennison to reduce environmental impact of labels
As such, the cosmetics maker has identified the impact of its labels and moved to replace them with Avery Dennison’s Global MDO substrate on some of its leading products, as it is designed to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and waste generated in disposal.
This has meant that L’Oreal has reduced its environmental impacts from 7% to 19% across the categories of fossil material, water use, energy use, GHG emissions and solid waste.
Lifecycle tool
In order to identify the impacts and make these necessary changes, L’Oréal Americas teamed up with the US-based packaging firm to use its Greenprint lifecycle tool, launched in 2010, to assess how thinner label materials can reduce environmental impacts.
This can be done by looking at the impacts of materials, manufacturing, raw material extraction as well as what happens at the label’s end-of-life.
It can then identify where the biggest problem areas lie and then come up with the best ways to lessen the impact.
Throughout the value chain
“We strongly believe in a sustainable supply chain, and this is ingrained in our business practices,” says David Wolbach, assistant vice president, Packaging Hair, L’Oréal Americas.
“However, to achieve the ultimate goal of reduced-impact materials, we cannot work alone. It is essential that all facets of the value chain – material suppliers, printers, consumers, and recyclers – collaborate together to establish a clear and transparent low-impact product stream globally.”
Rosalyn Bandy, Avery Dennison Sustainability manager, adds that improvements in sustainability require collaboration across the value chain and for companies like hers this means recommending the right material to brands.
L’Oréal says this collaboration fits in with its sustainability campaign, Sharing Beauty with All, launched in 2013, and that it is committed to continuing the improvement of its environmental profile, particularly its packaging.
