Natura &Co owns beauty companies from around the world: Avon, Aesop, The Body Shop, and Natura. And together those brands are dedicated to fairness and the natural environment and to making a measurable difference now: “We're the generation that has the knowledge and the technology to stem the rise in global temperatures, put an end to the global waste issue, and create equality for those who need it most,” says Roberto Marques, Executive Chairman of the Board and Group CEO of Natura &Co, in his remarks to the press.
“But we now need to move faster, we need to act and be held accountable,” adds Marques, who joined the company in 2017 after some 20 years with J&J and a brief stint at the snack company Mondelēz International.
“We understand the critical moment we live in right now and the role that companies need to play to engage themselves and commit to a better, more sustainable and more inclusive society,” he says. “We still need to do so much more to be the generation that restores our planet and protects its people. Aligned with our guiding principles, Natura &Co hopes to be a part of the dialogue and the solution.”
Natura &Co makes a formal Commitment to Life, taking sustainability and CSR to a new level
The company’s new Commitment to Life covers climate change, human rights, and circularity. And beyond the gender parity objectives of this new Natura &Co commitment, highlights include the beauty maker’s pledge to track emissions from ingredient sourcing through to packaging disposal; work toward zero deforestation in the Amazon; and to ensure full traceability of the company’s supply chain, with a particular focus on palm oil, mica, alcohol, cotton, paper, and soy.
To “address climate change,” Natura &Co has committed to get to net zero carbon emissions by 2030; develop a new framework in partnership with the Science-Based Alliance to preserve biodiversity; and up its investment in protecting the Amazon.
To “defend human rights,” the multinational beauty maker will pay everyone on its team at or above a living wage by 2023; increase its give-back initiatives across Avon, The Body Shop, Aesop, and Natura to $600m; and increase [employee] diversity by 30%; among other initiatives.
And to “embrace circularity and regeneration,” Natura &Co has committed to 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging by 2030; use 95% renewable ingredients and create 95% biodegradable formulas by 2030; and invest in more fair trade and waste-to-plastic technologies over the next 10 years.
Welcoming sustainable packaging innovation ideas from beyond the beauty industry
Earlier this month the beauty maker announced the completion of its Natura Innovation Challenge. The initiative called for “entrepreneurs, start-ups, research institutions, and companies to present packaging solutions that reduce waste through the use of renewable, soluble, or biodegradable materials to fight packaging waste and pollution,” as Cosmetics Design reported.
Now thanks to the company’s open innovation approach to progress, the solutions that were submitted during the challenge are available online at innovationchallenge.natura for any business interested in zero waste to explore.
When those solutions went online on June 9, 2020, Roseli Mello, Global Head of R&D at Natura &Co. explained, “Natura has worked with open innovation for over 20 years, based on the understanding that it is fundamental for our business.”
“However,” she points out, “we adopt a very careful approach to this work: for us, it is only innovation if it provokes positive impact. By means of Natura Campus and Natura Startups we are going to continue to promote innovation with our network in pursuit of solutions for the major challenges in sustainability and business. It is essential to share solutions to boost the visibility of the proposals received because they have great potential to impact the chain positively, as well as the businesses of other companies and other industries.”
---
Deanna Utroske has been reporting on the industry’s progress toward equal pay, biodegradable beauty, and economic circularity for quite some time. Hers is a leading voice in the cosmetics and personal care industry as well as in the indie beauty movement. As Editor of CosmeticsDesign.com, she writes daily news about the business of beauty in the Americas region and regularly produces video interviews with cosmetics, fragrance, personal care, and packaging experts as well as with indie brand founders.