L’Oréal is a beauty company. Their primary sustainability concerns inherent to their industry
are environmental due to biodegradability of products and waste and pollution of packaging.
L’Oréal addressed biodegradability in 2019 by developing new formulas for 46% of new or
renovated products, improving their environmental profile. 100% of product formulations
were expected to have an improved social or environmental profile by 2020. Also in 2019,
L’Oréal addressed waste and pollution of packaging by developing packaging with a lower
environmental footprint. They achieved this by replacing virgin materials with 13,204 tons of
recycled materials. a
L’Oréal also made a priority of promoting the use of renewable raw materials that are
sustainably sourced or derived from green chemistry. As a result, “59% of L’Oréal’s raw
materials (by volume) are derived from renewable sources and are largely of plant origin. The
Group uses approximately 1,600 raw materials from nearly 350 species of plants originating
from around a hundred countries. 68% (by volume) of these renewable raw materials are
derived from sources certified as sustainable**.” (2020)
They also made note of other goals and achievements relating to:
• Reducing the environmental footprint of formulas
• Respecting biodiversity
• Optimising packaging
• Achieving zero deforestation
• Reducing CO2 emissions
• Reducing water consumption
• Reducing waste
• Assessing the footprint of product
• Raising consumer awareness of sustainable consumption
• Promoting access to employment and social inclusion
• Joining forces with suppliers to meet the Group’s commitments
• Putting employees at the centre of commitments
I do think that the business risks the organization is taking to prioritize their identified
sustainable operations are worthwhile from a business perspective. Although the costs may be
high initially, it can be cost saving in the long run. It can also propel the company’s status.
Consumers are more aware of sustainability concerns and prioritize shopping with conscious
companies.
References
L'Oréal. (2020, January 23). L'Oréal group : Commitments & Responsibilities. L'Oréal.
Retrieved January 20, 2022, from https://www.loreal.com/en/commitments-and-
responsibilities/
L’Oréal. (2020). L’Oréal, World Leader in Beauty : Makeup, cosmetics . 2019 PROGRESS
REPORT- L’Oréal. Retrieved January 20, 2022, from https://www.loreal.com/-
/media/project/loreal/brand-sites/corp/master/lcorp/documents-
media/publications/sbwa/sbwa-2019-loreal-progress-reportukraine.pdf
