ANALYSIS Currently, the idea of a circular economy is
still low on consumers’ radars, with only 13% having heard of this concept. Interestingly this number increases to 17% of Millennials, those between 25-40 years old. In addition, only 9% have sent a jar back to
the manufacturer for refills and only 14% have used a refill service – suggesting consumers are not always behaving in the way they claim or brands expect when it comes to their sustainability behaviours. Claire Rance, head of brand strategy at The
Pull Agency, said: “Sustainability has become a key element of some beauty and personal care brands’ marketing, especially when targeting younger audiences, but this research suggests many of them still have a long way to go. They may also be focusing on behaviours that consumers are reluctant to actually pursue, like returning containers to the manufacturer for refills or recycling. “It’s an issue where they will
have to be more transparent if they don’t want to get left behind – and the fact that so few consumers have even heard of the ‘circular economy’ doesn’t help their cause.” The study also found
that Generation Z is the age group most concerned about animal testing: 21% view it as the biggest challenge facing beauty and personal care, compared to 13% of all consumers. But at the same time, 42% of all shoppers make a point to look for the leaping bunny (cruelty free) kitemark on products. There also appears some way to go to establishing a deep understanding of the concept of sustainability. Although consumers say caring for the planet is important to them, on average rating it as a 7 out of 10 in terms of importance, there continues to be confusion when it comes to what sustainability is all about. Only 4 out of 10 (39%) consumers understand sustainability as ‘renewing, regenerating and conserving resources we use’, with 8% believing sustainability is just about recycling.
17
Symbols and labels
So, how can consumers make the right choices when it comes to the sustainability of health &
beauty brands? It is clear that consumers want to do the right thing,
but in a heavily saturated market how can they tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys? Sustainability certifications are often held up as a shining example of NGOs and businesses coming together to solve international environmental and social problems that governments cannot. But with a huge variety of certifications does this add to the confusion or help consumers make savvy decisions? The report highlighted that 45% of UK
consumers say they look for symbols to show their health and beauty products use recycled materials, and two-thirds (67%) have
recycled old packaging from those products themselves. Other sustainability kitemarks and
certifications, however, are less well-known: for example, only 8% of shoppers look for the Soil Association symbol and only 12% look for Ecocert. There also remains some cynicism in this
area among shoppers: half (50%) think their friends and family exaggerate how committed they are to sustainability when it comes buying health and beauty products, rising to 57% among Generation Z. Nonetheless, even though affordability is the number one factor (57%) affecting which health and beauty and personal care products people choose, 88% of shoppers say they would pay more for products that had genuine sustainability credentials (rising to 90% of Generation Z). Claire Rance continues: “Consumers
are looking for evidence of a sustainable approach, like the leaping bunny, but most of the certifications currently aren’t on shoppers’ radar and it suggests those organisations need to do more work to promote their efforts. “Beauty and personal care brands have to see sustainability as an opportunity to better connect and engage with their audiences. We’ve all seen how the environment has been positively impacted by the lockdowns and quarantines of 2020, and consumers expect brands to do their utmost to keep things moving in the right direction.”
PC
Note: * Beauty and personal care categories for the purpose of this survey include: Skincare, make up, hair care (shampoo and conditioner), body care & bathing, fragrances/perfume, hair styling, grooming/shaving, at-home hair colourants, sun care & tanning
www.personalcaremagazine.com September 2021 PERSONAL CARE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92
