LONDON–Building on the brand’s recently announced Clean to Planet initiative, REN Clean Skincare will be one of the first prestige skincare brands to offer consumers a product in a 100% recycled bottle containing reclaimed ocean plastic.* This groundbreaking initiative is the latest step in the British pioneer of clean skincare’s journey towards becoming a Zero Waste** company.
Launched in time for Earth Month 2018, REN Clean Skincare partnered with the leading innovator in recycling, TerraCycle, to create a new 100% recycled bottle containing 20% reclaimed ocean plastic*. From late summer 2018, the award-winning Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Body Wash will feature the new hybrid 100% recycled plastic, 20% of which will be plastic collected by global NGO’s from oceans, beaches, rivers, lakes and the banks of those waterways. The range was fittingly chosen for the pilot ocean plastics program as it’s formulated with bio-actives, sustainably sourced from the ocean. To further reduce the environmental impact of the Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium bottles, the current pump, which contains a metal spring, will be replaced with a metal-free pump. Additional products in the range including hand and body lotions in the new hybrid recycled/ocean plastic packaging will be phased in across REN Clean Skincare’s full global distribution by early 2019.
REN Clean Skincare’s decision to use reclaimed ocean plastic* in the production of its prestige skincare and body care packaging comes at a time when the health of the ocean has reached a crisis state. According to a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), an enormous mass of plastic waste floating between Hawaii and California, is four to sixteen times larger than previously estimated and contains in excess of 79,000 tons of plastic over an area of 1.6 million km2. This toxic floating island has become a visible symbol of the environmental impact of plastic waste on the health of our oceans and the wildlife that inhabit it.
“The problem of plastic in our oceans and on our shores is a monumental one and we are happy that REN Clean Skincare has chosen to partner with TerraCycle to create a bottle from 100% recycled plastic – including reclaimed ocean plastic*,” said Tom Szaky, TerraCycle CEO & Founder.
“In addition to being 100% recycled, the new packaging will be easily recyclable on the backend reinforcing REN Clean Skincare’s commitment to their goal of becoming a Zero Waste brand,” Szaky noted.
Also timed for Earth Day 2018, the activist beauty leader pledged to become a Zero Waste brand by 2021. Product packaging is the first focus in this endeavor with REN Clean Skincare ensuring all packaging elements are 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable. The new approach to meet this ambitious Zero Waste goal includes:
- REDUCE: All unnecessary packaging will be eliminated beginning with cleanser cartons effective second half 2018.
- REUSE: Packaging will be designed to be refilled or repurposed including the upcycling of post-consumer packaging to create new packs.
- RECYCLE: All packaging will be 100% recyclable. REN Clean Skincare will leverage the power of their website and social media platforms to share recycling best practices.
“The beauty industry is one of the worst offenders when it comes to the over-use of packaging, and an alarming percentage of it is non-recyclable. Plastic packaging that ends up in landfills and waterways – as opposed to the recycling stream – remains there for decades, and even centuries, causing toxicity to our land, oceans, rivers, lakes and beaches. REN Clean Skincare participates in beach cleanups to educate consumers on these issues and designs its packs to minimize waste. We call upon the beauty industry to take all necessary actions to reduce packaging waste for the health of our planet,” said Arnaud Meysselle, Chief Executive Officer, REN Clean Skincare.
As REN Clean Skincare progresses towards its goal of becoming a Zero Waste company by 2021, additional programs and initiatives will be announced.
ABOUT REN CLEAN SKINCARE
From the outset, REN Clean Skincare has challenged skincare convention. From our inception in East London in 2000 we pioneered Clean Skincare, a smarter skincare which delivers high performance visible results whilst scrupulously avoiding any skin unfriendly, toxic ingredients. By saying yes to Natural Bio-actives that help skin help itself, no to harsh chemicals and no to waste, REN Clean Skincare is Clean to skin, Clean to Planet. We are truly committed to finding new ways of improving our positive impact on the world we all share.
@renskincare #cleantoskin #cleantoplanet
www.renskincare.com
ABOUT TERRACYCLE
TerraCycle is the world’s leader in the collection and repurposing of complex waste streams, ranging from used cigarette butts to coffee capsules to ocean plastic. The waste is collected through free manufacturer-funded programs, as well as Zero Waste Boxes that are purchased by end users to recycle in homes, offices, factories and public spaces. The collected waste is turned into a variety of raw materials that are sold to manufacturers to produce new products. Each year, across 21 countries, TerraCycle collects and repurposes billions of pieces of waste, donating millions of dollars to schools and charities in the process.
*from oceans, beaches, rivers, lakes and the banks of those waterways
**100% recyclable, reusable, compostable packaging