Winners in green: 2016 Sustainable Beauty Awards

The awards give highlight organisations pushing the boundaries of sustainability in the beauty industry, the organisers say, and are set only to rise in importance as the industry’s focus on the area of sustainable and ethical manufacture grows.​

In keeping with previous editions of the awards, this year featured around 100 entrants from across the globe, with the judging panel made up of representatives from an ethical brand, ingredient firm, industry organisation, media and research agency.

Organic Monitor, research, training and consultancy firm, organises the annual awards, with the ceremony this year taking place on 24 October and recognising efforts across five categories: green formulations, sustainable packaging, sustainable ingredient, sustainability leadership and sustainability pioneer.

Green formulation​

Weleda, a company that proved particularly successful in the awards, picked up the prize for green formulation, for its Evening Primrose Body and Face Care range. Judges commended its Natrue-certified status and noted it is an anti-ageing product, designed for mature skin. Australian company, Synthesis Organics, was selected as runner up.

Sustainable packaging​

The Brazilian cosmetics company Boticario Group was the winner, recognised for shifting over 70% of its Cuide-Se Bem range to green polyethylene packaging. The move is saving over 90 tons of plastics, avoiding more than 3,000 tons of carbon emissions per year.

Speick Naturkosmetik was selected as runner-up. The German brand uses bio-plastic packaging for its Speick 3.0 Organic shower gels.

Sustainable ingredient​

The L’Oreal Group won this category with its Quinoa Husk. The cosmetics multinational has partnered with Bolivian growers for the sustainable sourcing of quinoa husk, which is used as an exfoliating ingredient in skin care products.

TRI-K Industries with Baobab Tein NPNF® took the runner-up position. Derived from African trees,the multi-functional active material is used in skin care and hair care applications.

Sustainability Pioneer​

The Philippine company Human Nature (Gandang Kalikasan) came in as number one for social entrepreneurship. The company is creating natural cosmetics from locally sourced ingredients, creating employment for relevant communities.

Weleda is runner-up for its ‘Diversity wins!’ programme, which offers employment to refugees coming into Europe.

Sustainability Leadership​

Weleda won for leadership with its range of sustainability initiatives, ranging from ethical sourcing of ingredients, green formulations, packaging initiatives to social responsibility.

Croda International came in as runner-up for its considerable investment in the sustainability and renewability of its raw materials.