Beauty, Boop and $4.8 billion of waste

Online ‘too good to go’ beauty outlet Boop is ‘unpacking the issue of waste’ in the beauty industry, publishing a report which addresses the issue from three angles: overproduction, packaging and imperfect stock.

A panel compiled by Boop for a live discussion in March featured Yasmine Amr, founder, Boop; Lisa Payne, head of beauty trends, Stylus; Bianca Foley, founder and editor, Sustainably Influenced; Anna Priadka, founder, Planetpacks; Catarina De Avillez, founder, The Natural Africa; and Michele Scott-Lynch, founder, Bouclème. 

Among the topics discussed at the event were emerging trends, shifting consumer mindsets and actionable steps brands can take towards reducing waste. 

“The beauty industry is grappling with waste problems; and our discussion really honed in on the areas of overproduction, packaging and imperfect stock as the biggest culprits,” comments Foley. “Boop Beauty and similar companies are vital because they offer solutions to reduce this waste, aligning with shifting consumer demands for more sustainable practices.” 

Boop’s report notes that over 10% of beauty products go to waste along supply chains, equalling $4.8 billion worth of beauty products destroyed each year globally – ‘or the entire skincare industry in France’ – due to overproduction and poor stock management, shelf life expiry, damaged goods and ‘wonky’ packaging. 

Beauty waste figures at a glance

Packaging makes up 70% of the beauty industry’s waste

95% of cosmetic packaging is thrown away

$4.8 billion worth of beauty products destroyed annually

More than 10% of beauty products are wasted along the supply chain

Over 95% of shoppers surveyed by Boop said they would happily purchase ‘imperfect’ products; 23% would be willing to pay full price.

Short-lived, seasonal stock and limited edition, trend-driven packaging (as in the case of Barbie) can exacerbate the problem and generate great volumes of discontinued SKUs. Rebranding, the reformulation of products or regulatory changes to packaging can also lead to redundant stock – the irony being, says Boop, that ‘as brands make moves to more recyclable packaging, it can result in existing, non-recyclable packaging being destroyed or sent to landfill’.

“Sustainability is seen as a barrier for a lot of brands, but you can use it to help drive the brand creatively and inspire product development. A fragrance brand in the US has used extinct plants as inspiration to create new scents that they create scientifically in a lab. In addition, Krave Beauty created a new cleanser but the formulation wasn’t right, so they upcycled it and relaunched as a body wash instead, offering a 50% discount to customers. It is important for brands to address and communicate these challenges, and the journey, to consumers,” says Payne. 

But innovation, coupled with shifting attitudes towards ‘second chance’ beauty products such as those stocked by Boop, signal positive change for the industry as the regenerative approach is more widely embraced at industry level.  

“It’s not waste when it’s wanted”

“As consumer knowledge around sustainability and greenwashing increases, it’s more important than ever for brands to consider how they manage their excess inventory and think about what they view as ‘waste’,” explains Amr. 

“But, as we see an uptick of consumer understanding on recyclability and ingredient traceability, I believe it's an opportunity for brands to begin transparently and positively managing their stock.

“It’s not waste when it’s wanted. With Boop, we’re showing that what’s traditionally considered ‘undesirable’ can be very much desirable.”

Yasmine Amr, founder, Boop

By Rosie Greenaway, editor