The company gained Gold level certification for seven of its products and one Silver award for packaging.
The ‘cradle to cradle’ certifications developed by the McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) recognize green steps made towards eliminating waste.
Aveda worked closely with Professor Michael Braungart, founder of the Environmental Protection and Encouragement Agency (EPEA) and William McDonagh of the MBDC, to improve the environmental sustainability of its products.
Professor Bunghart said: "Aveda continues to innovate by fully embracing ‘cradle to cradle’ design. They are making a difference and ensuring that what they design is beneficial to the biosphere."
Responsible Packaging
In line with the cradle to cradle principle, Aveda has reduced the size, weight and production processes of packaging.
Most of their plastic bottles use a minimum of 80% Post Consumer Recycled (PCR) materials and the new Aveda Men line uses 95% PCR. This September, the company launched a bottle cap recycling program, collecting 100 000 pounds worth of caps.
Aveda have also established a ‘plastic hierarchy’, based upon the environmental impact of different materials. This list sees Polythylene and Polypropylene at the top and materials such as PVC at the bottom.
Green Ingredients
Aveda has in place a ‘green ingredient policy’, meaning that the products they use do not negatively impact the ecosystems from which they are sourced.
They have converted 90% of total tonnage of essential oils to certified organic.
The company stopped using parabens in their products two years ago and has established a ‘soil to the bottle’ traceability system, which allows them to document and expand the source of their ingredients.
Renewable Energy
Aveda is the first beauty company to manufacture with 100% certified wind power. The largest buyer of green energy in Minnesota, it has increased the amount of wind energy available to the entire power gird. This wind energy is generated on and purchased from nineteen wind farms in Minnesota.
The company’s president, Dominique Conseil, said: "Designing and manufacturing products can be environmentally responsible when environmental goals are factored into the concept at the very beginning."
Aveda promised to continue to work with the EPEA to develop new green alternatives in production, packaging and ingredients.