How Does A Global Plastics Treaty Affect The Beauty Industry?
The beauty industry produces ~120 billion units of packaging each year
It's an exciting week for plastics. The UNEA (United Nations Environment Assembly) 5.2 is currently happening in Nairobi where scientists, delegates, citizens, and corporations gather from all corners of the earth to talk about the common enemy we deal with regularly but haven’t talked about enough: plastic pollution.
We're all coming together to negotiate a Global Plastics Treaty (with some other countries creating their own that’s more personalized to them) on how to navigate the situation at hand. The subjects brought up will be:
Eliminating problematic plastic
Such as single use and other unrecyclable plastic
But keeping the easily recyclable plastic in the system
Creating a circular economy
Reducing plastic production immensely
Studying deeper the effects of plastic pollution in the environment - land and ocean
Reforming waste management.
Most of the "recyclables" are usually illegally dumped in south Asian countries such as Thailand or Vietnam
If they are not getting dumped in your landfill
due to lack of education of how to properly recycle
or lack of infrastructure
Offering support to countries to make all environmental efforts equitable
What does this mean exactly?
New markets are emerging and growing (which means more jobs), less plastic pollution in the environment, better public health, stronger government regulations, cleaner food, and so on.
(Side note for my opinion: Yes, it’s pretty awesome)
How does it relate to the beauty industry?
Because of the eminilation of certain plastics, this means the beauty industry will be transformed in the following ways.
Cleaner beauty
Regulations on cosmetics will be updated, leading to more natural alternatives.
Ingredients in cosmetics do not need FDA approval
Regulations on cosmetics are different in every country, something that wouldn’t be accepted in the US might be alright somewhere else.
A Global Plastic Treaty will level out some of these regulations globally
Safer beauty products, especially for long term use
Less havoc on the environment once it goes down the drain
Tools will be higher quality
Instead of cheap plastic that you can’t work with after your tools break, there will be more material options like wood, straw, recycled plastic, bamboo, etc.
When they do eventually break, you can actually recycle/compost them
Less packaging will be produced/used
More room in your dumpster, saving money on the trash bill
Less plastic in the landfills overall, especially from mini bottles
More innovative approaches (such as refilleries)!
As much as there is that can come from a Global Plastics Treaty big picture, the beauty industry will be changed immensely - for the better. Compared to what they are now, product quality and public health standards will be set higher. Long term pollution effects can limit your clients’ ability to receive the service they desire, create boundaries in what you can provide as a professional, and can affect you, your clients’, and your community’s overall health.
If you’re interested in learning more about the treaty, you can read the scientists' declaration.
If you’re interested in supporting the cause to further the impact, you can support it through your business or as an individual!
The more voices that are heard, the more value it holds. As citizens of our nation, it is our right to speak out about the things we care about and the things we want to change in order to better our everyday lives.
And of course, there are so many other ways to do your part in limiting your plastic use in the industry as an individual with conscious purchasing (avoiding plastic when you can) and disposing of the plastic you do have properly (to the best of your ability, not every state has the same resources as others for now).
Happy UNEA 5.2 week, everyone!