Henkel joins EcoBeautyScore Consortium, to enable more sustainable consumer choices

36 cosmetics and personal care companies as well as professional associations have joined forces to form the EcoBeautyScore Consortium, aiming to develop an industry-wide environmental impact assessment and scoring system for cosmetics products.

With small and large companies and associations from 4 continents, the EcoBeautyScore Consortium is truly global and inclusive. It remains open for other companies and associations to join.

The 36 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, Unilever.

The purpose of the EcoBeautyScore Consortium: enable consumers to make sustainable choices through an environmental impact assessment and scoring system

The EcoBeautyScore Consortium is developing an industry-wide environmental impact assessment and scoring system for cosmetics products. The approach has a global scope and may help provide consumers with clear, transparent, and comparable environmental impact information, based on a common science-based methodology. This will contribute to meet growing consumer demand for greater transparency about the environmental impact of cosmetics products (formula, packaging and usage). Indeed, a significant proportion of consumers (42%) is interested in buying brands that concentrate on circular and sustainable practices¹.

The work plan of the EcoBeautyScore Consortium: to co-build a scientific methodology for the environmental impact assessment and scoring system

The Consortium is working with the experienced sustainability consultancy Quantis to ensure a robust and scientific approach to co-build an assessment methodology and scoring system that are guided by and articulated around:

1. A common method for measuring environmental impacts throughout the lifecycle of products, backed by the principles of the “Product Environmental Footprint” ‏(the European Union’s PEF scientific method based on life cycle assessment ‏(LCA) for quantifying the environmental footprint of products).
2. A common database of environmental impact of standard ingredients and raw materials used in formulas and packaging, as well as during product usage.
3. A common tool that enables the assessment of the environmental impact of individual products, usable by non-experts.
4. A harmonized scoring system that enables companies, on a voluntary basis, to inform consumers about the environmental footprint of their cosmetic products. The methodology, data base, tool and scoring system will be verified by independent parties.

Operationally, the EcoBeautyScore Consortium is also supported by Capgemini Invent ‏(project management) and Mayer Brown ‏(legal counsel).

The EcoBeautyScore Consortium next steps

The 36 members of the EcoBeautyScore Consortium have started to work together organized in thematic working groups. A footprinting and scoring prototype is targeted for end of 2022, providing the environmental scoring for a selection of product categories at first. It will then be verified by independent parties.

The EcoBeautyScore Consortium is calling on cosmetics and personal care companies and professional associations to join this unique initiative

This Consortium is open to all cosmetics and personal care companies, regardless of their size or resources. Other stakeholders will be informed and consulted throughout the process. All companies will benefit from the pre-existing work and are invited to contribute with their own experience. The Consortium will also consult external experts, including scientists, academics, and NGOs to make sure the process is as inclusive as possible. The work developed by the Consortium will be published and may be used on a strictly voluntary basis by both Consortium participants and all other interested parties.

Cosmetics and personal care companies and professional associations wishing to know more are invited to contact: contact@ecobeautyscore-consortium.org.

¹ Source: Capgemini Research Institute, Circular Economy for a sustainable future report, August–September 2021