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Lush wants to “leave the world lusher than we found it”

Words by Smiley Team

Known for selling seaweed facemasks and glittery bath bombs, Lush has a reputation for its vegetarian beauty products. But beneath all that glitter they also have a green strategy which will, as they put it, “leave the world lusher than we found it.”

From their packaging to their waste, the British cosmetics company is working hard to ensure they have the most positive environmental impact possible. 

The importance of non-state actors has never been more relevant than this year when we have the COP26 in Glasgow," said Ruth Andrade from Lush's regenerative impact and earthcare team. "First, businesses are realising that their survival relies on a stable climate. We are already seeing disruptions in our supply chain, changes in consumer patterns and the heavy toll on society of the impacts of climate change.

As a cosmetic company that relies heavily on natural materials, we are in a prime position to support innovative, nature-inspired projects in our supply chain that align with our goal of leaving the world Lusher than we found it. This is similar to the whole cosmetic industry, what happens in the supply chain, whether we are leaving a trail of positive impact, healthy soils, biodiversity, meaningful livelihoods and a trail of social and ecological collapse in our responsibility.

 

On the path to zero waste

Reducing waste plays a huge part of improving Lush’s impact on wildlife and the environment. Over 70 per cent of their discarded materials are collected, sorted, cleaned, bulked, sold or disposed of by their Green Hub, which pays close attention to where their waste ends up.

From their biggest source of waste, paper towels, they manage to divert 63 per cent from landfill. Each time they build a new store only five per cent goes to landfill. In their manufacturing process, between 2018 and 2019, they managed to reduce the amount of waste generated in the first place by over 30kg for every tonne of products they manufactured.

In its production processes and throughout its stores, the company mostly opts for recycled or sustainable materials. These include slates made from old soap moulds, 100 per cent recycled acrylic flooring and innovative light fittings made from 65 per cent recycled steel.

 

Packaging for the planet

Generating hundreds of millions of tonnes of waste every year, the UK has a long way to go to zero waste. Lush is helping by making most of their packaging sustainable, recyclable and reusable. Over 70 per cent of its packaging is made from recycled, organic or regenerative materials and over 80 per cent of what leaves the shop is recyclable, reusable or compostable.

 

How you can do your bit

Lush is investigating additional ways it can reduce its waste and head towards a more sustainable business plan by 2030.

You can contribute to the battle against waste, not only by doing your own recycling at home. You can also support the broader cause through organisations such as The Global Recycling Foundation, which promotes recycling as a means of creating a more sustainable future for the planet and people. Working with the UN to make waste reduction a truly global concern, they lead educational programmes, campaigns and petitions.

It is a private organisation but they rely heavily on donations to function. Those interested in becoming a sponsor can donate to the foundation via their website.

Funding will go towards their campaigns encouraging people around the world to recycle more and help combat the climate crisis.

This article aligns with the following UN SDGs

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